BroBible
Diontae Johnson had a fairly tumultuous season in 2024, as he ended up playing for three different teams during the most recent campaign. That includes the Ravens, who released the wide receiver after hitting him with a suspension that seemed incredibly justified based on the explanation he recently offered while sharing his side of the story.
NFL players are expected to battle through their fair share of adversity and have plenty of incentive to do exactly that based on how much money they get paid to play a sport for a living.
That includes having to deal with the weather that always has the potential to throw a hitch in games that are played outdoors, whether we’re talking about rain, snow, or the extreme temperatures that give broadcasters an excuse to pull out the giant thermometers that tend to get plenty of airtime in those situations.
It didn’t seem like the elements were going to be an issue when the Ravens hosted the Eagles on December 1st last year, as there wasn’t any precipitation in the forecast on a day where the temperature was sitting at just over 40°F when the two teams kicked off at 4:25 PM.
Philadelphia ultimately walked away with the 24-19 win on the road in what ended up being Diontae Johnson’s final game with the Ravens. The wide receiver, who started the season with the Panthers before being traded. was suspended for a game for conduct detrimental to the team after refusing to play when they called upon him in the second half, and he was subsequently waived before being picked up by the Texans.
Johnson, who signed with the Browns as a free agent in April, got the chance to shed some light on his decision to stay on the sidelines during an appearance on the Sports & Suits show where he certainly didn’t do himself any favors.
The Florida native tried to put things in context, saying:
“I wasn’t playing. I wasn’t getting into run or pass plays. It was cold.
I was on the sidelines, standing there, going to the heater back and forth, just waiting to hear my name called. End of the third, going into the fourth, they’re like, ‘Tae, we need you.’
I’m thinking it’s not a good idea for me. I’m thinking about my legs. I don’t want to go out there and put bad stuff on film.”
The fourth quarter began around 6:30 PM, and according to archival weather data, the temperature in Baltimore was hovering near 39°F at that point.
It’s worth noting that Johnson added he had already “checked out mentally,” and when you consider he previously dealt with significantly more frigid weather with the Steelers and while playing college football at Toledo, it doesn’t seem like the so-called “cold” was the only factor in his decision to keep himself sidelined.
It’s a good thing he decided to sign with Cleveland, which is totally, definitely not a city that’s known for less than ideal conditions...
