Texans claim WR Diontae Johnson off waivers from Ravens

The Houston Texaswith a need to receive help after Tank Dell‘s season-ending knee injury, the wide receiver claimed Diontae Johnson exemptions Monday.

Earlier Monday, the team announced that Dell suffered a torn ACL and dislocated kneecap in Saturday’s 27-19 loss to Kansas City Chiefs.

The ravens waived Johnson on Fridayand ended his drama-filled seven weeks with the team. The Ravens suspended him for one game after he refused to play in a December 1 game against Philadelphia Eagles and then he was excused from team activities last week.

Baltimore had acquired Johnson in a trade with Carolina Panthers on October 29, but he played just 39 snaps for the team and caught one pass for 6 yards.

The Ravens, meanwhile, claimed the wide receiver/kick returner Steven Sims off waivers from the Texans on Monday. Sims averaged 27.9 yards on seven kickoff returns and 6.2 yards on 16 punt returns this season.

The Texans host the Ravens on Christmas Day.

The Texans were thin at receiver beyond stardom Nico Collins after also losing Stephen Diggs to a torn ACL earlier in the season. John Metchie III, Robert Woods and Xavier Hutchinson are other receivers on the Texans’ depth chart.

The Panthers acquired Johnson from Pittsburgh Steelers before the season, and 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 nod in 2021 with his lone 1,000-yard season and a career-high eight touchdown receptions in quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s senior year.

He will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.