Ravens waive WR Diontae Johnson, waive Nelson Agholor

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The Baltimore Ravens waived disgruntled wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Friday, ending his drama-filled seven weeks with the team.

Johnson, who was acquired by the Ravens from the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29, can be claimed by a team starting Monday at

Johnson’s time with the Ravens amounted to 1 catch, 6 yards receiving, 39 snaps and a lot of frustration. He was suspended by Baltimore for one game after he refused to play on Dec. 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles and was then waived from team activities for the past week.

His departure comes at a time when the Ravens could use him the most. Baltimore could be very thin on experienced wide receivers after ruling out Nelson Agholor (concussion) and listing Rashod Bateman (foot) as questionable for Saturday’s pivotal AFC North game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The lack of proven depth at wide receiver led the Ravens to send a fifth-round pick to the Panthers for Johnson and a sixth-round pick. Johnson, who was the leading receiver for Carolina at the time, failed to get significant playing time in four games for Baltimore and its No. 3 passing attacks in the league.

In the 24-19 loss to the Eagles, Johnson suited up but decided not to play, according to the team. The Ravens needed him because Bateman was ruled out for the second half of that game with a knee injury.

Three days later, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta announced that Johnson had been suspended for one game, describing the disciplinary action as a “tough decision.” When the suspension ended, Baltimore said it was mutually agreed that Johnson would be excused from team activities this week.

Now, the Ravens have moved on, closing one of the most enigmatic trades in team history. A 2019 third-round draft pick of the Steelers, Johnson has amassed 422 catches for 4,726 yards and 28 touchdowns for Pittsburgh, Carolina and Baltimore.

Baltimore is also dealing with other issues at wide receiver. There had been hope that Agholor could be cleared from the concussion protocol for Saturday’s game. But on Friday, the Ravens downgraded their no. 3 wide receivers out, an untimely loss for quarterback Lamar Jackson and the NFL’s top-ranked offense.

In addition to not having Agholor and Johnson, Baltimore could be without Bateman, who wore a protective boot in the locker room Thursday.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh declined to comment on Bateman’s status Thursday.

“I really don’t have anything to report on any of that,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll work through all of those things over the next few hours and days even, but we’ll be in good shape and ready to roll on (Saturday).”

The Ravens’ only healthy wide receiver on the 53-man roster who has caught more than 10 passes this season is Zay Flowers, who leads Baltimore with 66 receptions for 916 yards. The other wide receivers are Tylan Wallace, who has 10 catches for 191 yards, and rookie fourth-round pick Devontez Walker, who made his first career catch — a 21-yard touchdown — Sunday.

The Steelers also won’t be at full strength at wide receiver. Pittsburgh ruled out leading receiver George Pickens (hamstring) for a third straight game.

Saturday’s game in Baltimore is the biggest matchup in the AFC North this season. If Pittsburgh (10-4) wins, the Steelers will win their first division title since 2020. If Baltimore (9-5) wins, the Ravens will tie the Steelers atop the AFC North and have a 45% chance to capture the division, according to ESPN Analytics.