Latest news with #DiontaeJohnson
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cleveland Browns Training Camp Recap: Day 5 - Full pads & QB efficiency
Day 5 of Cleveland Browns training camp took place on Monday. Here is our recap of the session. Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report - Day 5 (7/28/25) 1. Pads and QB Update: The first padded practice of the year took place on Monday, and there were some other changes too. Gone is the format of having the quarterbacks break down into two groups on two fields. Also, the hamstring injury to QB Kenny Pickett means that for the moment, there are more reps for the other three guys. That includes QB Joe Flacco taking all of the first-team reps. 2. Progress for Ford: RB Jerome Ford is very close to returning to practice in full. He participated in some individual work on Monday, so I'd expect him to be in team drills this week. 3. Diontae Johnson With Some Snags: As WR David Bell and WR Michael Woods continue to miss time, WR Diontae Johnson is taking advantage. It doesn't hurt when he makes a snag like this: 4. Punt Return Order: According to Zac Jackson, the punt return order during practice included WR DeAndre Carter, WR Luke Floriea, and WR Winston Wright. 5. 11 on 11 Work: Flacco began 11-on-11 drills with 5 snaps, and then QB Shedeur Sanders was next up with the second offense. Twitter was buzzing over this touchdown pass to WR Gage Larvadain: To me, the throw is ok, but I'm also thinking, "Ok, but CB Cameron Mitchell was also kind there." Back to Flacco's snaps, he had connected with WR Cedric Tillman on a high throw. This time, Tillman came down with it and didn't get hurt: 6. Post Practice Work: One thing that hasn't changed is that rookies are still getting post-practice work in: 7. Drill of the Day: As a callback to earlier when Ford returned to individual drills, here he is getting some running back work in: 8. Brownies: OG Joel Bitonio appeared to have a rest day, and OG Teven Jenkins remained out. ... That allowed OG Lorenzo Thompson to get some first-team reps. ... Jake Burns on Twitter noted how Cleveland was installing boot Shotgun action today with pulling guards. ... TE Sal Cannella concluded the day with an open catch-and-run touchdown pass from Sanders. 9. Next Up: The Browns next practice is Tuesday Monday at 2:00 pm. It will be the fourth of eight practices open to the public, and I will try to be in attendance personally. The theme will be 'Military Appreciation.' The food truck will be Edwin's. The giveaway will be a Cleveland Browns schedule poster. More from ESPN drops some news about the Browns' quarterback situation NFL picks and predictions for Week 2 Daily Dawg Chow: Browns news (9/16/16) Browns' Color Rush uniforms unveiled, but Cleveland won't get to wear them in 2016 Film Study: Browns' only TD drive vs. Eagles Film Study: Browns' 1st three offensive series vs. Eagles - All 3-and-outs, with a botched fake Daily Dawg Chow: Browns news (9/15/16)
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Browns' Diontae Johnson's Role Unclear in Offense
Browns' Diontae Johnson's Role Unclear in Offense originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cleveland Browns are clearly focused on solving the quarterback situation this offseason, but there are other pressing needs on the offense, too. Advertisement One of the biggest battles in training camp will be at wide receiver, particularly after the team shipped off Amari Cooper last year. To hopefully help out the passing game, the Browns brought in six-year veteran Diontae Johnson, who spent 2024 with three different teams. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski discussed Johnson's past and what the team expects from him this season. 'Diontae [Johnson]'s a veteran that's played at a high level. We'll see as he gets involved more. These OTAs will be really good for him because this system is new for him,' Stefanski said. 'But I'm excited about the skillset and he's got to obviously prove it to us and he's excited to do that.' Advertisement While Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman are the favorites for the top two receiver spots, the No. 3 guy is certainly in question. Johnson should be the one filling it, but there is some doubt about him. The Athletic's Zac Jackson thinks Johnson's contract status could mean he's not necessarily a lock to even make the team. "Diontae Johnson signed a one-year deal with Cleveland after the draft, and given his experience and production, Johnson is the clear favorite to win the slot receiver job," Jackson wrote. "But he's been on five teams in the last 15 months and got no guaranteed money in his deal, so his role can only be penciled in for now. Ideally, the Browns would use Johnson as an underneath option to complement Jeudy's explosiveness and move both receivers around the formation." The bigger problem for the Browns with regard to Johnson is his attitude. We can only hope general manager Andrew Berry knew what he was doing when he signed Johnson, not because of the money tied to his deal - there isn't any - but because of the role they need him to play in the offense. Losing him would be a big deal at this point. Related: Browns Predicted to 'Get What They Paid For' in QB Room Related: Browns Roster Cut Candidate Surprises Many This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who Browns 'Want' To Win Starting QB Job Secret Revealed
Who Browns 'Want' To Win Starting QB Job Secret Revealed originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The convoluted Cleveland Browns quarterback room is about to know drama. And maybe the Browns like it that way. ... because, hey, if you're not going to be good, at least be interesting, right? Advertisement OK, it's too early to suggest that Cleveland is destined for doom. But training camp is less than a month away as four new faces joust for the starting QB job after the Browns learned that Deshaun Watson suffered a significant setback in his recovery from an Achilles injury. So who's who? Cleveland added Joe Flacco. And Kenny Pickett. And in the NFL draft, both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Four quarterbacks on the 90-man roster? Not a problem. A lack of pecking order clarity? The allure of "competition'' aside ... A problem. There are certainly expectations and early projections for what the totem pole will look like. Advertisement Some — rather outlandishly — see Sanders leapfrogging everybody. Many have the wily veteran and fan favorite Flacco earning the starting job with Pickett and the two rookies behind him. However, new Browns receiver Diontae Johnson has an interesting take about how he sees this quarterback battle shaking out. Johnson believes Pickett is the leader in the clubhouse ahead of training camp. 'I think they are going to roll with Kenny (Pickett) for right now,' Johnson said on the "Sport and Suits" podcast. 'I've been seeing Kenny going like right now with the ones. Then Joe (Flacco) will come in. "I think they are probably going to roll with (Pickett) just to see like he's coming off a season with Philly and having a Super Bowl. So, I think they are going to stick with him through the preseason. Then you know they can live with Joe and what he brings to the table.' Advertisement And now there is this: While the Browns surely want to keep this a secret should they really feel this way, NFL Network's "The Insiders" league reporter Gregg Rosenthal addressed Johnson's take. "I think Diontae Johnson is right that the Browns want Kenny Pickett to win the job," Rosenthal said. Rosenthal went on to say that he predicts "Flacco will win the job.'' But that's an opinion. If it's a fact that the Browns have a private desire for Pickett to be the guy? That — and not anybody else in the Cleveland quarterback hierarchy, not even Sanders — is the story. Related: Analyst Predicts Browns QB Struggles Continue This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ravens Ex Breaks Silence On Bizarre Weather Suspension
Ravens Ex Breaks Silence On Bizarre Weather Suspension originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It gets cold in Baltimore. Especially in December near the later portions of the NFL schedule. This shouldn't have been a surprise to most of the Baltimore Ravens players, who had played two home games in November in chilly conditions and were expecting the frigid temps to intensify for their mid-afternoon Week 13 bout with the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Advertisement But for receiver Diontae Johnson it was unbearable. To the point where he was unable to do his job ... or at least preferred not to. When fellow pass-catcher Rashod Bateman went down with an injury earlier in the game, Johnson was called to take his teammates place on the field. Johnson elected to keep his puffy jacket on, which ultimately led to an ugly end to his Ravens career shortly thereafter. Johnson recently appeared on The Comeback podcast to explain the situation of him refusing to enter the game against the Eagles. "It was cold. So, I'm on the sideline, just standing there, just going to the heater – back and forth – just waiting to hear my name called," Johnson said. "So, end of third going into the fourth, they're like, 'Tae, we need you.' I'm like, 'Nah.' To me, I'm thinking, 'I don't think it's a good idea for me,' because I was thinking about, like, my legs – I don't want to go out there and put bad stuff on film. Advertisement "It's not like I didn't want to go in the game, but you've got to think, like, leading up to this point, I'd been through so much." Johnson started his career playing five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers - another notoriously cold playing environment. His time in the Steel City came to an end after remnants of poor relationships and attitudes permeated throughout the locker room about Johnson - those actions don't typically fly under Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh (ask George Pickens or Chase Claypool). He had been traded to Baltimore from the Carolina Panthers midway through the season. About the Week 13 game, Johnson acknowledged that this act was the cause of his suspension. He then figured things weren't going to get much better and that he should get out while he has the chance. "I'd checked out mentally. I was like, 'Whatever happens, happens.' I was just rolling with the punches at that time. So, I told them I wasn't going in. I was like, 'I understand what you're saying, but I'm not going to go in.' So, I just sat on the bench, and that's when they suspended me. Advertisement "I already knew if I went back, I was going to be in the doghouse even more," Johnson said. "So, I just asked to get released, and I got picked up by Houston." Johnson was issued a suspension by the team for Baltimore's Week 14 game at the New York Giants. He was released a week later. After his acquisition, Johnson appeared in just one game with the Houston Texans at the end of last season before getting waived. The six-year receiver joined the Cleveland Browns this offseason on a one-year free agency contract. Newsflash: it snows in Cleveland, too. His response? Johnson said ... "I'm not even trying to think about that." Advertisement Related: Ravens' Kyle Van Noy Seeks Aaron Rodgers Revenge After 10 Years Related: Ravens' John Harbaugh Squat Goes Viral This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
"I didn't wanna go out there": Diontae Johnson confesses he didn't enter a game for Baltimore Ravens last season due to being cold
Diontae Johnson (via Getty Images) Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson is in the spotlight today after confessing he once declined to enter an NFL game because he was too cold. Appearing on the Sports & Suits podcast, Diontae Johnson revealed a moment from Week 13 of the 2024 season when the Ravens faced the Philadelphia Eagles on December 1. Even though he was needed late in the game, Diontae Johnson admitted he said "no" because his legs were cold. Diontae Johnson once refused to enter a game—here's why The National Weather Service said the day in Baltimore reached a high of 44°F and bottomed out at 21°F—chilly, but not quite Lambeau Field "Frozen Tundra" levels. The move didn't agree with the Baltimore Ravens. Diontae Johnson reported the denial resulted in a one-game suspension, and soon he was waived. The Houston Texans picked him up, but their things only marginally improved. "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," Diontae Johnson said. Diontae Johnson expects Kenny Pickett to be Browns' starting QB | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC Diontae Johnson's 2024 campaign became a whirlwind, with visits to Carolina, Baltimore, and Houston. He ended the year with 33 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns—a huge decline for the former Pro Bowl leader in receptions for multiple Steelers seasons. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Women Ever Today's NYC Undo After being reclaimed by the Ravens after his Texans release, Johnson was not eligible for postseason games and went on to become a free agent shortly after Baltimore's playoff loss. In April of 2025, Johnson was signed to a one-year, $1.17 million contract with the Cleveland Browns—a transaction now in question, given Cleveland's notoriously cold weather. Cleveland has historically averaged 4–6.5 degrees colder than Baltimore through the NFL season months, based on historical weather data. Cold feet or cold reality? NFL observers and fans are responding with a combination of laughter and dismay to Johnson's candor. On the one hand, he didn't stage an injury or pout on the sidelines—he just said he was cold and didn't want to give any bad tape. On the other hand, "too cold" is not an excuse that goes over big in NFL locker rooms, particularly in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or Buffalo. Also read: Ice Cube defends NFL's Taylor Swift spark — but says Travis Kelce is the real showstopper And now, Johnson gets a do-over with the Browns, but how long he'll keep warm—and his head in the game—is something that could carry over into the 2025 season. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
