HOUSTON – In an encouraging launch to his employment with the Texans, veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson displayed his trademark ability to create separation and catch the football.
Johnson, claimed off waivers after a rocky seven weeks with the Baltimore Ravens, is onto something with the AFC South champion Texans. He caught two passes for 12 yards on four targets with one first down. He also returned one punt for zero yards in 22 snaps and 37 percent of the offensive playing time during a 23-14 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
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Johnson has a proven ability to get open and is a smooth route runner, skills the Texans are banking on utilizing in their AFC wild-card playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday at NRG Stadium.
On his third NFL team of the season after a previous ill-fated trade to the Ravens from the Carolina Panthers that didn’t work out as he was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team for refusing to enter a game, Johnson is fitting in well with the Texans so far. They plan to ideally increase his role going forward in the postseason.
“With Diontae, I was really impressed with this last week of practice,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I thought he picked up on the things we were asking him to do. I thought he had some really nice catches, really nice plays throughout practice and he got in the game. We were able to get him a little involved in the game as well. I thought he handled himself really well. We will start to continue to feed him more to see how he can help us.
“The skillset, the talent is there it is just a matter of him integrating into our offense and making sure we put him in positions to where we can accentuate his talents because he is a talented player. He has made a ton of plays in this league, and it is exciting to see what he has been able to do on the practice field. So, I am excited to see that come to life on gamedays. He has done a great job, happy to work with Diontae. He has been a pleasure to work with.”
New #Texans wide receiver Diontae Johnson gets ready for first game after waiver claim @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/pRcoNrjKoz
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 5, 2025
Now that the veteran wide receivers is getting acclimated to a new locker room and a new offense, he has made a fast impression on his teammates and coaches.
'We're going to feed him more. The talent and skillset are there. He's been a pleasure to work with' #Texans coach DeMeco Ryans on involvement of new wide receiver Diontae Johnson @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/iJ9bu0u9x7
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 6, 2025
Previously, Texans Pro Bowl 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 predicted before the Titans game. “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 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 last week as he caught a series of passes from Stroud. 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.”
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 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.
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.”
Johnson had 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns for Carolina, but just one catch for Baltimore.
“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.”
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.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
