Steelers Now
The Cleveland Browns are releasing former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson, according to Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Johnson has now been traded twice and released three times since the end of the 2023 season.
The seven-year veteran was with the team since signing in late April.
Shortly after the report of his release, Johsnon wrote on X, “Appreciate the opportunity regardless.”
Appreciate the opportunity regardless 🙏🏾💯
— Diontae Johnson (@Juiceup__3) August 26, 2025
The Steelers traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers last March, and it didn’t take long before he became unhappy with the Panthers, forcing his way out of Carolina.
At the trade deadline, the Panthers dealt him to the Baltimore Ravens. But after a few games in Baltimore with a greatly reduced role, Johnson refused to enter a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was suspended for a week, sat out a week and then was released.
Following Johnson’s release, the Texans claimed him off waivers. Things seemed to go well at first, but he ultimately only lasted two weeks in Houston before he was released again after yet another outburst.
“Diontae Johnson made a scene in the locker room after the game where cigars were literally being smoked and the team was bonding, happy to get a win. It’s very easy to see why [Mike] Tomlin was over him, not Pickens and Baltimore, one of the best organizations in NFL, bailed,” Texans reporter Landry Locker wrote on X.
To say the least, Johnson’s career has been a tumultuous since leaving Pittsburgh in March of 2024. And now with the Browns cutting him loose, his career could be at a crossroad.
Johnson, 28, was a third-round pick (No. 66) by the Steelers in the 2019 NFL Draft and was quite productive during his five-year tenure in Pittsburgh, recording 391 catches for 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Browns Cut Former Steelers WR Diontae Johnson
