The Houston Texans on Tuesday waived wide receiver Diontae Johnson as they prepare for their divisional-round playoff game on Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Texans had claimed Johnson off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 23 after Baltimore moved on from the receiver after he refused to enter a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 1.
Including the Texans’ wild-card playoff victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, Johnson had three catches for 24 yards in two games with Houston.
Before the Ravens waived Johnson, they suspended him one game for his refusal to play against the Eagles. Baltimore had acquired him 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 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.