Diontae Johnson Gives Steelers Head Start vs. Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-13, on Sunday to set up a Week 16 clash with the Baltimore Ravens that could very well decide the fate of the AFC North.

Pittsburgh, potentially without receiver George Pickens, will be relying on trade deadline acquisitions like receiver Mike Williams and edge rusher Preston Smith – both of whom have played meaningful snaps since getting traded. Baltimore, meanwhile, just sent one of its midseason acquisitions home.

Former Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson was “excused from team activities” ahead of Week 16, a mutual agreement that the Ravens announced on Monday.

The decision comes after Baltimore suspended Johnson for its Week 15 contest against the New York Giants – a 35-14 win – after he quit on the team two weeks prior. Against the Philadelphia Eagles (preceding the Week 14 bye), Johnson refused to enter the game when called upon.

That isn’t going to fly, and it marks a critical point in his Ravens tenure. The San Francisco 49ers recently suspended linebacker De’Vondre Campbell for three games due to a similar offense on Thursday Night Football, and virtually every outward-facing player condemned him for his actions.

San Francisco is in free fall with decreasing stakes. Baltimore might win the Super Bowl.

As such, it seems likely that Johnson has already played his final down with the Ravens, potentially ending one of the worst contract years in recent memory and representing the worst-case outcome for an admittedly small-scale trade – flipping a fifth-round pick for Johnson and a sixth-round selection.

In seven games with the Carolina Panthers, Johnson logged 58 targets for 30 catches, 357 yards, and three scores. Appearing in four games for Baltimore, he’s found just five targets, one catch, and six yards.