National Football League

Claimed by Texans, Diontae Johnson will face Ravens, the team that waived him

Published Dec. 24, 2024 1:05 p.m. ET

The Houston Texans, who need help at receiver after losing Tank Dell to a season-ending knee injury, are taking a flyer on Diontae Johnson.

The Texans claimed Johnson off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, the same day they placed Dell on injured reserve. Now, in an interesting twist, Johnson will play against the team that waived him on Christmas Day.

Johnson is joining his third team this year after his brief and rocky tenure with the Ravens, who acquired him in a trade with Carolina. Johnson was suspended by the Ravens and later waived after the team said he refused to enter a game against Philadelphia. Ultimately, he played only 39 snaps for Baltimore, catching one pass for 6 yards.

The Chargers and Texans were the only teams to place waiver claims on Johnson, according to ESPN.

Houston, meanwhile, is reeling from the loss of Dell, who will miss the remainder of the season after dislocating a knee and tearing an ACL in a loss to Kansas City on Saturday.

Coach DeMeco Ryans revealed the details of the injury Monday before announcing that Dell would have season-ending surgery for a second straight year. Dell fractured his fibula in Week 13 against the Broncos as a rookie last season and had surgery on it the following day.

"He dislocated the knee, he tore the ACL, other things there he'll have to get repaired," Ryans said. "So he'll be out for the year."

Ryans didn't have a date for Dell's surgery, but said it would be soon.

Dell was injured on a 30-yard touchdown catch in Houston's 27-19 loss Saturday. He was coming across the back of the end zone and made the spectacular catch on a pass from C.J. Stroud before colliding with Houston teammate Jared Wayne on the way to the ground. Dell immediately grabbed at his knee and Wayne signaled for team trainers, who spent several minutes working on the wide receiver while teammates waited anxiously.

Dell was eventually placed on a stretcher and driven in a covered medical cart off the field, and then he was taken to the hospital. He stayed in the hospital overnight before flying back to Houston on Sunday.

Stroud, who is so close to Dell that he considers him a brother, cried the entire time the receiver was down on the field and for a while after he was taken away.

"It was just not easy for me to sit there and be emotional," Stroud said Monday. "But it's something that we all go through in life and it's easy to be a fake tough guy. It's easy to go through life acting like everything doesn't affect you, but deep down we all know we're going through something."

Some criticized Stroud for crying. But he believes a display of emotion such as that was important to remind people of the human aspect of this game and the toll it can take on players.

"It's good for young men and women out there, kids who are brought up — and I was taught this too as a kid, not from my parents but just from the world, don't let anybody see you emotional," he said. "Don't let anybody see you down and yeah there's some truth to that in in certain aspects, but there's also life and I think it was good for people to see me in that light and knowing that there is still a human factor to me and I'm a normal person."

Stroud said he and Dell meet for Bible study a couple of times every week and he believes his faith will help Dell in this difficult time.

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"This isn't the end for him," Stroud said. "This is just another bump in the road. ... There's always light in the tunnel."

This injury comes after the 25-year-old Dell was an innocent bystander at a private event in Sanford, Florida, last offseason, when he sustained a minor gunshot wound. He spent a brief amount of time in the hospital but was able to return to Houston soon afterward.

Dell, a third-round pick out of the University of Houston last year, ranks second on the team with 51 receptions for 667 yards and three touchdowns.

His injury is another blow to a team that was already missing Stefon Diggs after the four-time Pro Bowl receiver sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 8.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.