Veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson had a rocky 2024, playing for four different teams in the calendar year. Initially, it appeared that Johnson could be someone to break out with a new team this season, but he instead got traded twice and cut once in a 10-month span.
Johnson can still salvage his season by helping the Texans beat the Chargers in the wild-card round of the playoffs. The wide receiver could play a pivotal role on an injury-depleted Houston offense that struggled to close the regular season.
How did a player as talented as Johnson end up on so many teams in such a short period of time? The Sporting News examines.
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Diontae Johnson NFL Draft
Johnson played college football at Toledo, where he produced 1,278 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in his redshirt sophomore season. He returned to school the following year and totaled 761 receiving yards, but his college production was enough for him to become a day-2 pick.
The Steelers drafted Johnson in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft, using the No. 66 overall pick. Johnson was drafted just two picks after the Seahawks selected DK Metcalf and went 10 picks before Washington took Terry McLaurin.
Diontae Johnson career timeline
- Pittsburgh Steelers, 2019-2023
- Carolina Panthers, 2024
- Baltimore Ravens, 2024
- Houston Texans, 2024
Johnson began his NFL career with the Steelers, playing 77 games over a five-year stretch as one of the team’s primary pass catchers. His best season came in 2021 when he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career and made his first and only Pro Bowl appearance.
Before the 2022 season, Johnson signed a two-year extension with the Steelers worth $36.7 million, locking him in with Pittsburgh through the 2024 season. However, after Johnson had a disappointing 2023 season, the Steelers traded him to the Panthers for a draft pick swap.
Carolina hoped that Johnson would provide stability in the passing game for young quarterback Bryce Young, but the Panthers’ overall offense struggled in the first half of the season. With the team already out of playoff contention, the Panthers shipped him to the Ravens before the trade deadline, but Johnson only disappointed even more in Baltimore.
Johnson recorded just one catch for six yards over four games with the Ravens and had several off-the-field issues with the team. In early December, Baltimore suspended Johnson for refusing to enter a game against the Eagles, and two weeks later, the Ravens cut him from the team outright.
Meanwhile, the Texans dealt with a variety of wide receiver injuries in 2024 — Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell were among those to suffer season-ending injuries. In need of depth entering the playoffs, Houston claimed Johnson off waivers, hoping he can add something alongside Nico Collins.
So far this season, while playing for three teams, Johnson has a career-worst 375 yards on 33 catches and three touchdowns.
Diontae Johnson career earnings
As an early third-round pick, Johnson made $4.3 million over his four-year rookie contract. When he signed an extension with the Steelers, he was set to make $36.7 million combined in 2023 and 2024.
The second year of this extension has been split across three teams, with the Panthers, Ravens and Texans paying a portion of the deal.
In total, Johnson has made $42.7 million between his rookie contract and extension, and the veteran wide receiver will hit free agency in the offseason.
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