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Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson signed with the Cleveland Browns following the 2025 NFL Draft.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson is signing with another AFC North rival, this time joining the Cleveland Browns.
NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported the news on the evening of April 28, not long after the Steelers signed a veteran wide receiver of their own.
“The Browns are signing veteran WR Diontae Johnson, sources say,” Garafolo relayed on X. “Cleveland brought the former Steelers and [Baltimore] Ravens pass catcher in for a visit today, and the sides then agreed to a deal. Back to the AFC North for Johnson.”
Just under an hour after the news, Johnson posted on social media, writing: “All GOD 🙏🏾.”
The former 1,000-yard wide receiver’s NFL journey has taken several odd twists and turns since being traded from the Steelers to the Carolina Panthers. Johnson wasn’t great in Carolina — with 357 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns over 7 starts — but he completely fell off the map as a non-factor after the Panthers moved on.
Johnson was traded to the Ravens, suspended by the Ravens, waived, claimed by the Houston Texans, and then waived again. And throughout that entire stretch, the former third-round talent accumulated just 18 regular-season yards and another 12 in the playoffs.
It was one of the more rapid falls from grace in recent memory, and now Johnson will attempt to reboot his brand in Cleveland.
Results of Steelers’ Diontae Johnson Trade With Panthers
Circling back to the Steelers-Panthers deal that began Johnson’s downfall, here is how everything shook out.
Carolina also traded Johnson to the Ravens for a pick swap that put them in position to draft tight end Mitchell Evans in 2025. Barrett has since been traded to the Seattle Seahawks for cornerback Michael Jackson.
So, to summarize that convoluted mess of transactions. The Steelers’ long-term outcome of the Johnson trade was a 2026 compensatory sixth-round pick and Lee.
While the Panthers did well to immediately flip a bust of a trade early on, turning Johnson and Barrett into Evans and Jackson.
Neither team really came out on top in this deal, as it was mostly a loser for all parties.
Michael Obermuller covers the NFL for Heavy.com, where he began writing in 2021. His areas of focus specialize on the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, with expert knowledge on each based on years of coverage. An NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate, his previous bylines include Heavy on Jets, FanDuel’s The Duel, King Fantasy Sports and Pro Football Mania. More about Michael Obermuller
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