In one of the surprising moves of the NFL season, Diontae Johnson is set to return to the Baltimore Ravens. According to NFL reports, the Ravens have claimed Johnson off waivers from the Houston Texans – but there’s a catch to that claim.
Since Johnson was released from the Texans in the playoffs, the Ravens cannot play Johnson this playoffs. Johnson won’t officially be on the Ravens’ roster until after the Super Bowl and will qualify as an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
If Johnson signs with another team, he would factor into Baltimore’s compensatory draft formula for 2026. The Ravens could gain draft capital simply by having him on their roster before the start of the new league year. They decide not to re-sign him and allow him to walk in free agency.
Johnson has caught 391 passes for 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns in 77 career games. He made the Pro Bowl with Pittsburgh in 2021 after catching 107 passes for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns.
Johnson played in two total games for the Texans before being releasedcatching two passes for 12 yards in the regular season finale against the Tennessee Titans, and one catch for 12 yards in the wild card win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The 28-year-old was claimed by the Texans on Dec. 23 after being waived by the Ravens, but he is expected to return to Baltimore less than a month later.
Baltimore sent the Carolina Panthers a fifth-round pick in exchange for Johnson and a sixth-round pick in October, but Johnson was unhappy with his role in the offense during his first stint with the Ravens . The wideout was even suspended for the Week 15 game against the New York Giants for conduct detrimental to the team before being cut.
Over the past calendar year, Johnson suited up for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Panthers, Ravens and Texans. He was traded twice and waived twice. He is now set to return to the Ravens for the second time this season.
