Diontae Johnson was awarded to the Houston Texans off of waivers from the Baltimore Ravens on the afternoon of Monday, Dec. 23, and NFL fans wonder if he will actually get on the field when the Texans host the Ravens on Christmas Day.
NFL Fans Rip Johnson for Letting the Ravens Down
Johnson, who was suspended for failing to take the field against the Philadelphia Eagles during his brief stint with the Ravens, will apparently join his third team this regular season (and fourth of 2024) when he lands in Houston.
Fans are left wondering whether he will be willing to play for the Texans or if he will pull another stunt like he did in Baltimore.
I wonder if he'll play this time?
— Retail Investor Guy (@RetailInvestGuy) December 23, 2024
Meanwhile, others were left wondering how this could impact their Week 17 matchup, as Johnson would get an early revenge game, should he be able to suit up on a short turnaround.
“Some people don’t understand that it’s not a coincidence when a fringe player gets signed by a team immediately playing against his former team. Intel pays, even if he doesn’t see the field for a second,” a fan said.
Oh this could be hilarious 😂
They do need a WR & wouldn’t mind some intel too
— Sebastian Fearon DPT, CSCS, OCS (@TheDegenDoc) December 23, 2024
Johnson was traded to the Ravens by the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29 but has yielded only one catch for six yards. Frustrations began to bubble after he refused to enter the game vs. Philadelphia, which got him suspended in the first place.
When he was suspended, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta released the following statement.
“We have made the difficult decision to suspend Diontae Johnson for our upcoming game against the New York Giants for conduct detrimental to the team,” DeCosta said. “Diontae’s suspension stems from refusing to enter our game against the Philadelphia Eagles. We will have no further comments on this matter going forward.”
He never came back from his suspension. He was waived on Friday, Dec. 20.
The Texans have a strong need for a capable receiver after Tank Dell went down last week against the Kansas City Chiefs with a dislocated knee. He is lost for the season.
As Dell caught a touchdown in the third quarter, his teammate, Jared Wayne, caught him in the back of the leg, and both crashed to the ground. Dell managed to cling onto the touchdown but stayed down and appeared to be in a great deal of pain. Dell was carted from the field as the stadium was hushed.
Dell’s teammates took a knee and then gathered around him as he was lifted onto the cart. His teammates looked emotional as they stood around him and he was taken from the field. Quarterback C.J. Stroud looked particularly distressed as he was comforted by his teammates. As if to emphasize the impact the injury had on the team, Ka’imi Fairbairn missed his first extra point of the season on the next snap.
Dell was officially ruled out shortly after leaving the field. He was put in a vacuum splint as he left the field, which is used when there is concern about severe instability or fracture as it stabilizes from the hip to the foot. Dell was then taken to a Level 1 Trauma Center at the University of Kansas Hospital. He was later ruled out for the season with a dislocated knee, torn ACL, and additional damage, according to head coach DeMeco Ryans.
Here's the play where Tank Dell was injuredpic.twitter.com/wlILO6gPB9
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 21, 2024