The Houston Texans have claimed Diontae Johnson off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens, a move that comes as the team deals with a season-ending injury to wide receiver Tank Dell. Dell, who was injured on a 30-yard touchdown catch in the team’s loss to Kansas City, dislocated his knee and tore his ACL. He will require surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
Johnson, who was waived by the Ravens after refusing to enter a game against Philadelphia, played only 39 snaps for Baltimore and caught one pass for 6 yards. He will now join his third team of the year and will face the Ravens on Christmas Day.
The Texans placed Dell on injured reserve and coach DeMeco Ryans revealed the details of the injury, stating that Dell will have season-ending surgery. Ryans did not provide a date for the surgery, but said it will be soon.
The team is also dealing with the loss of Stefon Diggs, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 8. Dell’s injury is a significant blow to the team’s receiving corps, which now has Johnson and rookie receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as potential options.
Johnson’s addition comes as a surprise, as he was suspended by the Ravens and waived after refusing to enter a game against Philadelphia. He played only briefly for the team and did not impress in his limited playing time. However, the Texans saw something in him and decided to take a flyer on the 26-year-old receiver.
In a separate story, quarterback C.J. Stroud was emotional on the sidelines when Dell was injured and said it was a reminder that the players are human beings who go through struggles and setbacks. Stroud believes that his display of emotion was important in showing that the players are not just athletes, but also human beings who have feelings and emotions.
