In a stunning development, the Baltimore Ravens announced on Monday that they have mutually agreed to excuse star wide receiver Diontae Johnson from all team activities for the upcoming week. The decision comes on the heels of Johnson serving a one-game suspension last week for refusing to enter Baltimore’s Dec. 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The mercurial wideout’s future with the team now appears to be in serious jeopardy. When pressed on whether he foresees Johnson returning to the Ravens next week, head coach John Harbaugh remained noncommittal, stating only that his focus lies squarely on preparing for this Saturday’s critical AFC North showdown with the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Harbaugh Mum on Reasons for Not Releasing Johnson Outright
Curiously, despite Johnson’s apparent insubordination and the Ravens now excusing him from the team for a week, Harbaugh declined to elaborate on why the organization opted not to release the Pro Bowl pass catcher outright. “There are reasons for doing things,” the tight-lipped head coach cryptically offered when probed on the matter.
The mercurial Johnson’s tenure in Baltimore has been a rollercoaster since signing a lucrative four-year, $72 million contract extension in 2023. Last season, the speedster topped 1,200 receiving yards and hauled in 9 touchdowns en route to his second career Pro Bowl nod. But 2024 has been a different story.
Disappointing Season and Attitude Issues Mar Johnson’s 2024
Through 12 games, Johnson has recorded a pedestrian 52 catches for 597 yards and just 3 scores. Quarterback Lamar Jackson’s completion percentage when targeting Johnson has also cratered to a career-low 52.8%. Rumblings of the receiver’s discontent with his role in the offense have percolated since October.
“[Diontae] hasn’t been a distraction, per se, but you can just see the frustration in his body language, his effort. I think he feels he should be getting more targets and isn’t thrilled with how we’re using him conceptually,”
an anonymous Ravens assistant coach told ESPN.
Those tensions appeared to boil over when Johnson flatly refused to take the field for the second half of Baltimore’s Week 14 matchup in Philly. The Ravens would go on to fall to the Eagles 27-24 with a hobbled receiving corps, pushing their record to 8-5.
Pivotal Final Stretch Looms for Baltimore
Now, a once-promising season suddenly stands on the brink in Baltimore. Entering Week 15, the Ravens cling to the 7th and final AFC playoff spot, a game behind the 9-4 Bengals for the AFC North lead. With divisional bouts against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh still to come, Johnson’s future — and potentially the team’s as well — hangs very much in the balance.
- Will the Ravens welcome back their star wideout for the season’s final push?
- Can Lamar Jackson carry an undermanned offense to the postseason?
- Does Johnson still factor into the Ravens’ long-term plans?
Those pressing questions won’t be answered definitively this week, with Johnson away from the team and Harbaugh insisting his sights are trained solely on Pittsburgh. But for a Ravens squad that entered 2024 with Super Bowl aspirations, how this Diontae Johnson saga ultimately unfolds could make or break their title chances, both now and for years to come.
