Diontae Johnson Makes Cryptic Post After Ravens' Win; WR Had 2 Targets vs. Bengals

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson made a cryptic post Friday morning on X following the Ravens' 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football.

Johnson, who has played sparingly in two games with the Ravens since arriving in a trade from the Carolina Panthers, wrote on social media that there are "two sides to a story," but did not provide further context:

On Thursday, Johnson had just one catch for six yards on two targets, and he played only 8 percent of the Ravens' offensive snaps.

One week before the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline, the Ravens agreed to send a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Panthers in exchange for Johnson and a 2025 sixth-round pick.

Carolina had acquired Johnson and a seventh-round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers for cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick during the offseason.

The 28-year-old Johnson emerged as Carolina's No. 1 receiver, registering 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games, but he became expendable since the Panthers had only one win when they traded him and since he can hit free agency during the offseason.

Johnson was more of a luxury pickup than a glaring need for Baltimore since the Ravens' offense was already firing on all cylinders prior to his arrival.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson is perhaps the front-runner to win his second consecutive NFL MVP Award and his third overall, while running back Derrick Henry is a leading candidate for NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

In terms of pass-catchers, second-year wideout Zay Flowers is trending toward a career year with 50 receptions for 688 yards and three touchdowns. Also, Rashod Bateman has re-emerged with 31 grabs for 501 yards and four scores, and tight end Mark Andrews has 30 catches for 357 yards and five touchdowns.

The Ravens No. 3 wide receiver from a production standpoint has been Nelson Agholor with 13 receptions for 205 yards and two touchdowns, so it can be argued that an upgrade was at least worth exploring.

Johnson figured to slot right in as the Ravens' No. 2 wide receiver across from Flowers, but he hasn't assimilated to the team as quickly as anticipated.

In his first game with the Ravens, which was a 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos last week, Johnson played 30 percent of the offensive snaps, but did not have a catch.

He now has a total of one catch in two games with the Ravens and has played only 22 offensive snaps in all.

The Ravens are 7-3 and they are averaging 38 points per game in the two games since Johnson arrived, but they are doing so without much production out of him.

Because of that, it is fair to wonder if he will be a nonfactor moving forward, although it isn't outside the realm of possibility that his role could grow as he becomes more comfortable with the offense.

Given that he averaged 94 receptions for 989 yards over a three-year stretch with the Steelers from 2020 to 2022, Johnson has shown that he can produce in the NFL, and he still has a chance to be an impact player in Baltimore.