Controversial wide receiver Diontae Johnson has landed a deal with the Cleveland Browns just months after being cut by two NFL teams in the space of four weeks.
Johnson was employed by three separate franchises in the 2024 season; having first been traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Carolina Panthers in March of last year before heading to the Baltimore Ravens just seven months later.
In mid-December, the 28-year-old was then ruthlessly waived by the Ravens after being suspended for ‘conduct detrimental to the team’ when he refused to enter their Week 13 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Just days later he sealed a move to the Houston Texans, only to be cut in even quicker fashion after a mere two appearances for the team.
Despite his woes last season, Johnson now has the chance to start fresh in Cleveland after agreeing a one-year contract with the team, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Signing the problematic wideout is the second gamble the Browns have made in the space of a few days, after they selected opinion-dividing quarterback Shedeur Sanders in last week’s draft.
The 23-year-old son of NFL legend Deion was initially touted as one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class, only to fall to the 144th overall pick before the Browns eventually took him in the fifth round.
Despite many insisting he was one of the two best quarterback options in the pool, he ended up being the sixth passer selected overall.
Sanders, who went 9-4 while throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns in his final year with Colorado, had sparked concerns about his conduct in interviews prior to his draft snub, having reportedly ‘sandbagged’ conversations with teams he had no interest in signing with.
Back in 2022 Cleveland also made a financially disastrous move by handing a controversial five-year, fully guaranteed $230million deal to Deshaun Watson, who has played 19 times over the past three years.
Watson was suspended for 11 games in 2022 after more than 20 women claimed he sexually assaulted them and behaved inappropriately while getting massages.
Two grand juries in Texas did not end up charging him criminally, but a settlement reached by the NFL and NFL Players Association in his disciplinary matter led to the hefty suspension.
Before returning to the field, he had to pay a $5million fine and go through a treatment program that was recommended by behavioral experts.
In 2023, his season came to an early end when he needed shoulder surgery in November – his right throwing shoulder. Watson then went on to suffer two Achilles injuries within the space of three months last year.
The Browns will be hoping for better fortunes with the two latest controversial players they’ve added to their roster, with the move to Cleveland almost a last-chance saloon for Johnson.
The former third-round pick out of Toledo became a major contributor in Pittsburgh, where he had five seasons of at least 50 catches and 680 yards. He was at his best in 2021, making 107 grabs on 169 targets to record 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns.
Fans were left dumbfounded as Johnson went practically ignored on offense in Houston, where he managed just two catches on four targets in his lone regular-season appearance.