Diontae Johnson

This article is about the American football wide receiver. For the fullback, see Dionte Johnson. For the linebacker, see Dyontae Johnson.

Diontae Johnson
refer to caption
Johnson with the Carolina Panthers in 2024
No. 82 – Houston Texans
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1996-07-05) July 5, 1996 (age 28)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:183 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school:Earl J. Lennard
(Ruskin, Florida)
College:Toledo (2015–2018)
NFL draft:2019 / round: 3 / pick: 66
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2024
Receptions:422
Receiving yards:4,726
Receiving touchdowns:28
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Diontae Lamarcus Johnson (born July 5, 1996) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Toledo Rockets and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft. He has also played for the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens.

Early life

Johnson attended and played high school football at Earl J. Lennard High School in Ruskin, Florida.[1][2]

College career

Johnson played college football for Toledo from 2015 to 2018.[3][4] During his time at Toledo, he had 135 catches for 2,235 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also had four rushing attempts for 26 yards. His sophomore year was his best, where he had 74 catches for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns.[5]

College statistics

Season Team Class GP Receiving
Rec Yds Avg TD
2015 Toledo FR 11 12 196 16.3 2
2016 Toledo SO 0 DNP
2017 Toledo R-SO 14 74 1,278 17.3 13
2018 Toledo R-JR 13 49 761 15.5 8
Career 38 135 2,235 16.6 23

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 10+1⁄2 in
(1.79 m) 		183 lb
(83 kg) 		30+3⁄4 in
(0.78 m) 		9 in
(0.23 m)		 4.53 s 1.53 s 2.63 s 4.45 s 7.09 s 33.5 in
(0.85 m)		 10 ft 3 in
(3.12 m)		 15 reps
All values from NFL Combine[6][7]

Pittsburgh Steelers

2019

Johnson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round, 66th overall, of the 2019 NFL draft.[8] The Steelers originally acquired the selection in a trade that sent Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders. Johnson made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the New England Patriots. In the game, Johnson made three catches for 25 yards in the 33–3 loss.[9] In Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers, Johnson caught three passes for 52 yards and his first career touchdown as the Steelers lost 24–20.[10] In Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, Johnson caught five passes for a career-high 84 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown, in the 27–14 win.[11] In Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football, Johnson was concussed after safety Damarious Randall made a helmet to helmet hit on him.[12] In Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals, Johnson caught six passes for 60 yards and a touchdown and returned a punt for an 85-yard touchdown in the 23–17 win, earning him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[13][14] On January 3, 2020, Johnson was named to the NFL All-Pro Second-team as a punt return specialist.[15] Overall, Johnson finished the 2019 season with 59 receptions for 680 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.[16]

2020

Johnson finished the 2020 season with 88 receptions for 923 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns in 15 games. He had two games going over the 100-yard mark on the season.[17]

In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs against the Browns, Johnson recorded 11 catches for 117 yards during the 48–37 loss.[18]

2021

Johnson finished the 2021 season with 107 receptions for 1,161 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns in 16 games. He had three games going over the 100-yard mark on the season.[19]

In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs, Johnson caught five passes totaling 34 yards and a touchdown in the 42–21 loss.[20]

After the AFC Championship game, which resulted in the Cincinnati Bengals making it to Super Bowl LVI, he was named to his first Pro Bowl, replacing Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase.[21]

2022

On August 4, 2022, Johnson signed a two-year, $36.71 million contract extension with the Steelers that included $27 million guaranteed.[22]

In Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers, Johnson had his best game of the season with 10 receptions for 98 yards, both season highs.[23] He finished the 2022 season with a team-high 86 receptions for 882 yards and zero touchdowns, setting an NFL record for most receptions in a season without a touchdown.[24]

2023

Johnson opened up the 2023 season against the 49ers, in which he sustained a hamstring injury, taking him out of action for at least a month.[25] He was placed on injured reserve on September 18, 2023.[26] He was activated on October 21, 2023.[27] He caught a touchdown in week 9 against the Tennessee Titans, his first in 655 days.[28] He also had a season-high 90 yards in the same game. He finished the 2023 season with 51 receptions for 717 yards and five touchdowns.[29]

Carolina Panthers

On March 12, 2024, the Steelers traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson and the 178th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, which Pittsburgh used to draft Iowa DT Logan Lee.[30]

Johnson led the Panthers in receiving through seven games, with 30 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns. His best game as a Panther came in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders, recording eight receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown in a 36–22 victory.[31] He did not play in Week 8 against the Denver Broncos due to an oblique injury.[32]

Baltimore Ravens

On October 29, 2024, Johnson and a 2025 sixth-round pick were traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2025 fifth-round pick.[33][34] On December 4, Eric DeCosta, the executive vice president and GM of the Ravens, announced that Johnson was suspended for one game due to conduct detrimental to the team. This suspension was caused by Johnson refusing to enter the Ravens Week 13 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, where the Ravens lost 24-19.[35]

On December 20, 2024, Johnson was waived by the Ravens. [36]

Houston Texans

On December 23, 2024, Johnson was claimed off waivers by the Houston Texans.[37]

NFL career statistics

Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Returning Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Y/R Lng TD Att Yds Y/A Lng TD Ret Yds Y/R Lng TD Fum Lost
2019 PIT 16 12 59 680 11.5 45 5 4 41 10.3 17 0 20 248 12.4 85 1 5 2
2020 PIT 15 13 88 923 10.5 47 7 3 15 5.0 9 0 9 82 9.1 24 0 2 1
2021 PIT 16 14 107 1,161 10.9 50 8 5 53 10.6 25 0 0 0 — 0 0 2 2
2022 PIT 17 17 86 882 10.3 37 0 7 25 3.6 8 0 0 0 — 0 0 1 0
2023 PIT 13 11 51 717 14.1 71 5 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 1 0
2024 CAR 7 7 30 357 11.9 39 3 2 6 3.0 4 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0
BAL 4 1 1 6 6.0 6 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0
HOU 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0
Career 88 75 422 4,726 11.2 71 28 21 140 6.7 25 0 29 330 11.4 85 1 11 5

Postseason

Year Team Games Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Y/R Lng TD Fum Lost
2020 PIT 1 1 11 117 10.6 19 0 0 0
2021 PIT 1 1 5 34 6.8 13 1 0 0
2023 PIT 1 1 4 48 12.0 19 1 0 0
Career 3 3 20 199 10.0 19 2 0 0

References

  1. ^ "Diontae Johnson, Lennard , Wide Receiver". 247Sports. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  2. ^ Brady, Kevin (February 4, 2015). "Lennard's Diontae Johnson named state, county all-star". The Observer News (South Shore, Riverview, Sun City Center and North Manatee). Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  3. ^ "Diontae Johnson – Football". University of Toledo Athletics. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  4. ^ Vukovcan, Mike (April 27, 2019). "Toledo Coach Jason Candle Believes Steelers a Great Fit for Diontae Johnson". Steelers Now. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  5. ^ "Diontae Johnson College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  6. ^ "Diontae Johnson Combine Profile". NFL.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  7. ^ "2019 Draft Scout Diontae Johnson, Toledo NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  8. ^ "Steelers select Johnson in third round". Steelers.com. April 26, 2019. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  9. ^ "Brady starts his 20th season by beating Steelers 33–3". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 8, 2019. Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  10. ^ "Sloppy 49ers beat Steelers 24–20 on late Garoppolo TD pass". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 22, 2019. Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  11. ^ "Steelers overcome slow start, drop winless Dolphins 27–14". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 28, 2019. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  12. ^ "Browns, Steelers brawl at end of Cleveland's 21–7 win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 14, 2019. Archived from the original on November 17, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  13. ^ "Steelers hang on for 23–17 victory over Cardinals". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 8, 2019. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  14. ^ Bergman, Jeremy (December 11, 2019). "Ryan Tannehill, Jimmy Garoppolo among Players of the Week". NFL.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  15. ^ "2019 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  16. ^ "Diontae Johnson 2019 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  17. ^ "Diontae Johnson 2020 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  18. ^ "Wild Card - Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers - January 10th, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  19. ^ "Diontae Johnson 2021 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  20. ^ "Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs - January 16th, 2022 - GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  21. ^ Koehler, Allison (January 31, 2022). "2 Steelers alternates named to 2022 NFL Pro Bowl". Steelers Wire. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  22. ^ Edholm, Eric (August 4, 2022). "Steelers signing WR Diontae Johnson to two-year, $36.71M extension". NFL.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  23. ^ Strackbein, Noah; Thompson, Stephen (December 19, 2022). "Steelers vs Panthers Takeaways: Diontae Johnson's Shut Up Game". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  24. ^ Marczi, Matthew (January 9, 2023). "So Close, Yet So Far: Diontae Johnson Officially Owns Record For Most Catches Without A TD". Steelers Depot. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  25. ^ Strackbein, Noah (September 13, 2023). "Steelers Waiting on Cam Heyward, Diontae Johnson Decisions". si.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  26. ^ "Steelers make roster moves ahead of MNF". Steelers.com. September 18, 2023. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  27. ^ Varley, Teresa (October 21, 2023). "Steelers activate Johnson, make other moves". Steelers.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  28. ^ Murphy, Bryan (November 3, 2023). "Diontae Johnson's last TD catch: Steelers WR finally end drought that started with Ben Roethlisberger". Sporting News. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  29. ^ "Steelers trade Diontae Johnson to Panthers, per sources: What Carolina gets in the WR". The Athletic. March 12, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  30. ^ Kownack, Bobby (March 12, 2024). "Panthers acquiring Steelers WR Diontae Johnson for CB Donte Jackson; teams swapping picks". NFL.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  31. ^ Hensley, Jamison (October 29, 2024). "Ravens agree to trade for Panthers WR Diontae Johnson". ESPN. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  32. ^ Gantt, Darin (October 29, 2024). "Panthers trade Diontae Johnson to Baltimore". Panthers.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  33. ^ Brown, Clifton (October 29, 2024). "Ravens to Trade for Panthers Wide Receiver Diontae Johnson". BaltimoreRavens.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  34. ^ Patra, Kevin (October 29, 2024). "Panthers sending WR Diontae Johnson to Ravens in trade". NFL.com.
  35. ^ "Statement From Ravens Executive Vice President & General Manager Eric DeCosta". Baltimore Ravens. December 4, 2024.
  36. ^ "Ravens Waive Diontae Johnson". Baltimore Ravens. December 20, 2024.
  37. ^ "Houston Texans Transactions (12-23-2024)". HoustonTexans.com. December 23, 2024.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Diontae Johnson.