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Jun 12, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, middle, and managing and principal partner Dee Haslam, middle left, and managing and principal partner Jimmy Haslam, left, and executive vice president, football operations and general manager Andrew Berry watch practice during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

NFL Player's Career In Jeopardy After Getting Cut By Browns

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 10:55 AM ET

Today is one of the worst days in the NFL calendar. While it marks the approach of the impending campaign, it's also "cut day," a time when hundreds of professional dreams are ended across the league, as teams shave down their rosters to the final 53-man iterations they intend to carry through the season.

Training camp and preseason are over, which means the decision-makers and higher-ups around the NFL now have all the tape they need — or at least, all the tape they can get — to make their last cuts. The Cleveland Browns made a flurry of removals yesterday, but still had some work to do before the deadline at 4 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, August 26th.

They recently parted ways with a very high-profile name, someone with immense talent. And yet, it didn't really come off as a shocker when the Browns announced that they had released wide receiver Diontae Johnson.

Diontae Johnson's NFL career might be over after release by Cleveland Browns

Since the Cleveland Browns released Diontae Johnson, he's free to immediately sign with any other team in the NFL. However, it wouldn't be surprising if this was his last stop in the league.

It's not for a lack of talent. After an illustrious collegiate career with the Toledo Rockets, the Pittsburgh Steelers took Johnson in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He played well in his time for Pittsburgh, including a 2021 Pro Bowl season that saw him catch 107 balls for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns.

Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Between the departure of Ben Roethlisberger and the arrival of George Pickens, Johnson saw his targets and opportunities with the Steelers shrink dramatically. Eventually, Pittsburgh traded him to the Carolina Panthers, citing character concerns amid disputes regarding his usage within the team.

He didn't last long in Carolina, either. He appeared in seven games with the Panthers before they traded him again to the Baltimore Ravens. He was waived two months later, picked up by the Houston Texans, and waived again after three weeks.

He signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Browns this past spring, potentially filling a need for a team desperately searching for offensive playmakers to take pressure off of quarterback Joe Flacco and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Apparently, Johnson didn't do enough to convince Head Coach Kevin Stefanski and the rest of the Browns' brass that he could be that piece for them.

Considering Cleveland's severe lack of offensive talent and the franchise's apparent willingness to overlook character concerns (see: Deshaun Watson, Quinshon Judkins, Isaiah Bond), it seems that Johnson's talent is no longer worth the headaches he brings in the NFL. Getting released by the Browns could very well mark the end of his career.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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