Total Pro Sports
New Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson may want to improve his work ethic, starting this season.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers star is coming off a forgettable year that saw him switch teams four (!) times. He was traded to the Carolina Panthers last March, only to be sent to the Baltimore Ravens before the trade deadline.
Baltimore waived Diontae Johnson after he refused to enter their Week 13 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Houston Texans picked up Johnson soon after, only to waive him in January. Finally, Baltimore reclaimed Johnson a second time, though he wasn’t eligible to join them until the end of the 2024 season.
After spending nearly two months on the open market, Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Browns in free agency. Now, about that work ethic thing…
During an appearance on the “Sport and Suits” podcast, Diontae Johnson broke his silence on the game he refused to enter against Philly. The former Pro Bowler claimed that he had no interest in playing because of how “cold” it was — despite the fact that it was really only 41-degrees out:
“End of the third going into the fourth, they were like, ‘Tae, we need you. I was like, ‘Nah, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me.’ Like, my legs are already ice cold and I didn’t wanna go out there and put bad stuff on film.”
The eventual Super Bowl champions came into Baltimore and defeated Lamar Jackson’s group 24-19, led by Saquon Barkley’s 107 rushing yards and one touchdown. Despite the cold conditions, Jackson had a fine performance with 237 passing yards, two touchdowns and 79 rushing yards.
All told, Johnson played 12 games in 2024 and finished with just 33 catches for 375 yards and three touchdowns.
Johnson had his best season in 2021, catching 107 passes for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns. Despite mediocre QB play in Pittsburgh, Johnson registered four straight seasons of 50-plus catches and over 700 yards (2020 to 2023).
So if Johnson can refocus and stay healthy, he might revive his career with the Browns. He wasn’t a fit in Carolina or Baltimore, but Jerry Jeudy had his best season with the Browns last year, so why can’t Johnson do the same?
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