Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but Diontae Johnson has a new home.
The Cleveland Browns on Monday morning announced they signed Johnson to a free-agent contract. The deal marked yet another new chapter for the veteran wide receiver, who changed teams three (!) times last season. Johnson started the 2024 campaign with the Carolina Panthers before he spent time with the Ravens, the Houston Texans and then a second brief stint in Baltimore.
But before he traveled that winding road, Johnson was a standout in Pittsburgh, where he broke into the NFL as a 2019 third-round pick. The 28-year-old racked up 850-plus receiving yards in three of his five seasons with the Steelers, including his 2021 Pro Bowl campaign in which he logged 107 catches for 1,161 yards with eight touchdowns. Last March, Mike Tomlin and company traded Johnson to the Panthers in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 sixth-round pick, which was used to draft defensive tackle Logan Lee.
Johnson has an opportunity to carve out a role for himself in Cleveland, where the receiving corps outside of Jerry Jeudy leaves a lot to be desired. Of course, it remains to be seen who will be throwing passes for the Browns, as there are five players — including rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders — on the quarterback depth chart.
Featured image via Bob Donnan/Imagn Images