Two days after his non-contact knee injury, Stefon Diggs was ruled out with a torn ACL. Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans waited to break the news until Tuesday, but there’s no reason to believe they didn’t know earlier than this.
Within minutes of the Diggs’ news, another story broke. The Baltimore Ravens struck a deal to land wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Frustrated with his short tenure with the Carolina Panthers, Johnson now joins an AFC contender.
For Houston, it took one of their options off the board. With Diggs gone, there was an immediate call to get Johnson but that dream died quickly. Fans who aren’t happy to see a conference rival land Johnson will be even more irate when they see the details of the trade.
Texans fans will be furious over Diontae Johnson trade details
Carolina sent Johnson and a sixth-round pick to the Ravens in exchange for a fifth-round selection. That could wind up being a drop of 15 picks for Baltimore to bring him in.
On top of that, Carolina was willing to eat a huge chunk of Johnson’s salary. For the remainder of the season and playoffs, the Ravens will owe Johnson roughly $625,000.
Somehow, the rich got richer as the Ravens — who already have the reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry — added another weapon. Johnson, who is familiar with the AFC North due to his five-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers — could be what the Ravens need to get back on top of their division.