Texans claim veteran WR Johnson off waivers
The Houston Texans, in need of receiving help after Tank Dell’s season-ending knee injury, claimed wide receiver Diontae Johnson off waivers Monday.
Earlier Monday, the team announced that Dell suffered a torn ACL and dislocated kneecap in the Texans’ 27-19 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Chargers were the only other team to place a waiver claim on Johnson, a source told ESPN’s Field Yates.
The Ravens waived Johnson on Friday, ending his drama-filled seven weeks with the team. The Ravens suspended him for one game after he refused to play in a Dec. 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles and then he was excused from team activities last week.
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Baltimore had acquired Johnson in a trade with the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29, but he played only 39 snaps for the team, catching one pass for 6 yards.
The Ravens, meanwhile, claimed wide receiver/kick returner Steven Sims off waivers from the Texans on Monday. Sims averaged 27.9 yards on seven kickoff returns and 6.2 yards on 16 punt returns this season.
The Texans host the Ravens on Christmas Day.
The Texans were thin at receiver beyond star wideout Nico Collins after also losing Stefon Diggs to a torn ACL earlier this season. John Metchie III, Robert Woods and Xavier Hutchinson are other receivers on the Texans’ depth chart.
The Panthers acquired Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers before the season. He had 30 catches for 257 yards and three touchdowns for Carolina when he was dealt to the Ravens.
The Steelers drafted Johnson in the third round of the 2019 draft and he had 391 catches for 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns in Pittsburgh. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 with his lone 1,000-yard season and a career-high eight touchdown receptions in quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s final year.
He will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
