Diontae Johnson reveals reason he refused to enter game for Ravens that led to suspension
If Baltimore was too cold for Diontae Johnson, then he may have wanted to do a little bit more research on Cleveland weather before he signed with the Browns.
Johnson, who played for three different teams during the 2024 season, admitted in an interview on the 'Sports & Suits' podcast earlier this month that he had refused to go into a game that the Ravens played on Dec. 1 against the Eagles, a Week 13 loss.
The Baltimore area experienced a day in which the high was 44 degrees and the low was 21 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
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Diontae Johnson looks on during the Browns mandatory minicamp on June 10, 2025.
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'End of the third going into the fourth, they were like, 'Tae, we need you,'' Johnson explained during the episode. '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 Ravens suspended Johnson for the following game after his refusal, and it eventually led to a breakup between the receiver, who Baltimore acquired from Carolina at the trade deadline, and the team with his release in mid-December.
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He was picked up by the Texans and didn't last long there either, making it two games before he 'checked out mentally' after he said the Texans were prioritizing their younger guys for playing time.
Johnson was cut after two games, and he reportedly became visibly upset and had to be calmed down by teammates after the playoff win over the Chargers, with the displeasure over his role leading to his release.
Diontae Johnson looks on before the Ravens' win over the Browns on Nov. 7, 2024, in Baltimore.
AP
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Johnson signed with the Browns in April on a one-year, $1.7 million deal.
Hopefully, Johnson has prepared himself for the cold weather this year, with average temps in Cleveland in December around 34 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
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Carter Bryant, wing, Arizona 6-7 | 215 lbs | 19 It's harder to project Bryant as a very good starter on a good team than Maluach, but it is easy to envision him contributing to a good team as a low-usage starter. He's got the size and shooting to do it, even if he was a reserve in his only college year. If you're married to the idea of the Raptors going high upside with this pick, Bryant won't be for you. He has shown very little as a scorer or playmaker off the bounce. I'm comfortable knowing he will be able to fit in, however the Raptors evolve. With so many guys who are used to having the ball, and Ochai Agbaji a candidate to be traded due to the Raptors' cap situation, give me a player who will fit in next to Scottie Barnes, if nothing else. 3. Thomas Sorber, centre, Georgetown 6-9 | 263 lbs. | 19 Thus ends my list of players whose fit and talent I would love for the Raptors, at least at nine. Sorber has some similarities to Poeltl. He catches the ball well on the move, is a good passer and shouldn't struggle much with the physicality of the NBA. Compared to Maluach and even Poeltl, he lacks the height to bring a lineup together defensively, although his 7-6 wingspan will give him a chance. He blocked two shots per game at Georgetown, so it is not as if he is a non-factor. Tolzman spent some time on Monday mentioning how having a centre that can function similarly to Poeltl would be useful. He then said there is also a benefit to having a stylistic difference behind the veteran. Never show your hand! Advertisement Sorber has enough skills to make sense playing in coach Darko Rajaković's system. He is smart on both ends. If the Raptors think they can turn him into a shooter — and they always think that — he would be a fun fit. 4. 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(See also: Collin Murray-Boyles, the defensive-minded, non-shooting forward from South Carolina.) So long as Barnes is here, I don't love the idea of another player who wants the ball in his hands in pick-and-roll scenarios with a work-in-progress shot. People smarter than me say that his outsized role and a forearm injury accounted for his 31.8 percent shooting from 3 at Illinois, and that he is a better shooter than that. Then again, you are not drafting him for him to hang out off the ball. The Jakucionis-Barnes pick-and-roll combo would be comically pass-first. But he has great vision and would make a ton of sense in a post-Barnes world. If the Raptors were in a pure rebuild, he'd probably be third for me. But they are not. My next five: 6. Cedric Coward, wing, Washington State; 7. Murray-Boyles; 8. Noa Essengue, big, France; 9. Joan Beringer, big, France; 10. Derik Queen, big, Maryland (Top photo of Khaman Maluach: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
