‘Diontae Johnson is going to look real good out there for us,’ Texans’ Joe Mixon bullish on new wide receiver

HOUSTON – Diontae Johnson has been involved in a crash course, absorbing the Texans’ playbook since joining the AFC South champions a week ago.

Now that the veteran wide receivers is getting acclimated to a new locker room and a new offense, he’s made a fast impression on his teammates and coaches.

Texans Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon expressed a lot of confidence in Johnson and the impact he can make now that he’s getting settled in with his third team of the season as he catches passes from quarterback C.J. Stroud.

“I’m going to give y’all a treat: Diontae Johnson, he’s gonna look real good out there for us,” Mixon said. “Incorporating him into the offense, I think that was major. I’ve played again him for years. I’ve obviously respected him as a football player. For him to come in and us be able to uplift him, because he was struggling this year going from place to place and figuring out where he stands.

“He came in here ready to grind, ready to work. We love that as a Texans organization, as a team. I love that a guy will give his all and do everything the right way. He learned the offense real fast. The way him and C.J. are clicking, I love to see. In terms of going into the postseason, you can never take that for granted.”

Johnson was jettisoned from the Baltimore Ravens as drama behind the scenes stemming from his displeasure with his lack of touches in the offense ultimately came to a head as his business relationship with the team deteriorated to the point where he was placed on waivers.

The Texans, with a glaring need for a wide receiver with Tank Dell out for the season with a devastating knee injury, were awarded the veteran wide receiver off waivers.

Now, they’re glad that they did as Johnson has been creating separation in practice and catching the football adeptly.

“Diontae has been a separator throughout his career in the NFL,” Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said. “He has played at an extremely high level, really at every stop that he has been at when he stepped on the field and you are watching the tape seeing who the guy is that separates, Diontae always jumps out. That is evident when we are out on the practice field these last few weeks. You can tell he knows what he is doing in routes.

“He is savvy, he is explosive, he is quick, he has great snap down and acceleration. Route-wise he can do anything you ask him to do and it is really just hammering in on our offense, which he has done a great job of so far. We have to help him in regard to that, just making sure he is in a spot where we can make him feel comfortable in what he is doing and how to do it, also our quarterback can feel comfortable with what he is doing and how he is doing it. The other receivers around him can so that is really the starting point and emphasis for us right now. As far as being a receiver, he can do anything you want him to do.”

One week after joining the Texans, Johnson practiced for the first time with his new teammates Monday morning as he caught a series of passes from Stroud. After the workout at his new locker, Johnson emphasized that he’s turning the page on what happened in Baltimore and is embracing a fresh start with the Texans.

“Just to be here, fresh start, getting around the guys just being here to actually be in the building and not worry about everything that’s been going on, just focus on the Titans and learning plays, I’m just taking it one day at a time,” Johnson said in his first comments since joining the Texans. “I want to leave that in the past. Fresh start here.

“I had a good time there, I got some good teammates I got to know. Those relationships are going to be here and I’m going to move forward here. I’m trying to win games here and go far in the playoffs. I see myself fitting in real well. Knowing C.J., I met him at a signing and kept in touch here and there throughout the season. To finally get here and be in the offense with him is just a blessing, just his talent he brings to the game.”

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What happened with the Ravens? Johnson caught one pass for six yards on five targets and played in just 39 offensive snaps. He was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team when he refused to play in a Dec. 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Then, he was excused from team activities in a mutual decision with management and the coaching staff.

Johnson was waived after a rocky tenure with the Ravens that lasted just seven weeks. Johnson was suspended by the Ravens in what general manager Eric DeCosta called a “difficult decision.”

Johnson has gotten extremely emotional and upset when he doesn’t get the football, according to multiple league sources. Several sources emphasized that Johnson has a friendly, kind personality, but can be volatile when things don’t go the way he expected them to. Teammates have said positive things about Johnson, who was warmly greeted with hugs by former teammates, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, when the Ravens were at NRG Stadium on Christmas and defeated the Texans in a 31-2 blowout victory.

From the Texans’ standpoint, they’re not focused on the past with Johnson. They’re determine to get the most out of the pending unrestricted free agent on the field, starting with a Sunday road game against the Tennessee Titans.

“With Diontae, adding him to our team, he’s a guy who has talent,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s done it at a high level for other teams. He’s bounced around a little bit here. As I mentioned to him, he, of course, has a clean slate starting with me. It really doesn’t matter what has happened in the past or what the narrative is about you. You come here and everything is a fresh start. And so we’ll see how he can help us, what he can add to our team. on the field and off the field.”

Johnson has 31 receptions for 363 yards and three touchdowns this season, averaging 11.7 yards per catch.

For his career, the former Pittsburgh Steelers third-round draft pick from Toledo has 422 catches for 4,726 yards and 28 touchdowns in stints for the Steelers, Panthers and Ravens.

“He is a really skilled route runner, very knowledgeable about the game, very eager and motivated to play well and that is something that I like,” Stroud said. “He is just really a smooth route runner and catches the ball really easy. I think he will do just fine here, and I am excited to work with him and build that connection.

“We met last year after the season at a signing, and we just chopped it up. I told him I was a big fan of his and loved his separation ability. In man coverage, he separates really easily and has a good feel for the game. I have seen that on the film, and it is true even in person.”

The Ravens acquired Johnson and a sixth-round pick in 2025 from the Panthers for a 2025 fifth-rounder.

“Team first, everybody is about the team,” Johnson said when asked what he’s learned about the Texans’ culture. “I’m about the team, too. I’m doing whatever the coaches asks of me, special teams, returns, if I play a couple plays here and there, just contribute in some sort of way, that’s all I’m really worried about.”

Johnson had 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns for Carolina.

“I bring a lot of value, just my ability to get open and create space,” Johnson said. “And just my YAC ability after I catch the ball and add another weapon to the rest of the guys here, just being another weapon and make the offense that much better.”

He had hoped to join the Texans during the NFL trade deadline, but was sent to Baltimore and it didn’t work out. The Los Angeles Chargers were the only other team to put in a waiver claim for Johnson.

“I was excited because I wanted to come here before when I was about to get traded,” Johnson said. “Now that I’m here, fresh start and I’m looking forward to playing.”

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For the Steelers last season, Johnson stood around and didn’t attempt to recover a fumble by running back Jaylen Warren. He was derided on social media and scolded by coach Mike Tomlin.

A potential touchdown pass get knocked out of Johnson’s hands in the back of the end zone, too.

Tomlin said Johnson needs to control his emotions. Johnson apologized to his teammates.

“I didn’t know the play was still going,” Johnson said. “Like I said, if I could make the play again I would tackle the ball.”

Being with the Texans represents an audition for Johnson, who has the opportunity to establish himself as perhaps a player the organization will want to do a new contract for if this is a good fit.

“Yeah, God willing, got to come in here and do what I got to do, do the right things, keep building relationships with everybody,” Johnson said. “Just being more open and talking and show that I want to be here and I want to be a part of this offense and an organization. I’m blessed to be here, excited, so I’m just looking forward to this and making my mark, playoffs and this week.”

And getting Johnson implemented into the offense is a process. The Texans want it to evolve as naturally as possible on short notice.

“I think that is a good question because I think if you don’t start with almost no expectations, but you let him grow into it and you let him and C.J. grow into their rapport and you grow into routes and stems in our offense that he likes and is good at, I think you can get off-course,” Slowik said. “We have a pretty good idea of what he has done in the past that he has shown on tape that he is really good at and when he separates and where he enjoys the ball and can go competitively catch it. We are starting there and as we go integrating some of our stuff and waiting for him and C.J. to see what they like and what they don’t like and see where it goes.”

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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com