Steelers' AFC North Rival Ravens May Keep Diontae Johnson Due To Interesting "Threat" He Poses To Baltimore If Released

The Pittsburgh Steelers seemingly have a double-agent planted in the Baltimore Ravens' locker room. Diontae Johnson, a former top receiver for Pittsburgh, has been nothing but trouble ever since he landed in Baltimore. Before the Ravens' bye week, General Manager Eric DeCosta announced that Johnson had been suspended for one game for "conduct detrimental to the team." That means he will be out for their Week 15 game against the New York Giants. It only seems like a matter of time before he gets released. 

According to ESPN, however, there may be one big reason why the Ravens might keep Johnson around instead of cutting their (slim) losses: the rematch with the Steelers.

"Something to keep in mind if Baltimore cuts [Diontae] Johnson: It plays Pittsburgh -- Johnson's old team -- in Week 16. Whether the Steelers would want him back is unclear, but the way some people around the league see it: The threat of him sharing Ravens offensive intel with Pittsburgh could make Baltimore hold on to him."

Even with Johnson's antics in Pittsburgh, it did not seem like he left on a low note or burned a bridge at the time. He was traded to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for Donte Jackson, an aggressive ball-hawk cornerback who was brought in to complement the physicality of Joey Porter Jr. on the other side. Jackson currently has five interceptions, which is tied for third-best in the NFL. It's safe to say that the Steelers won that trade.

However, it goes deeper than him not having any outbursts in the final month of play. The Steelers were done with him during the first year of his two-year extension. They did not want anything to do with him and shipped him off to cut down on the toxicity. George Pickens is enough of a problem on his own, but he is still on his rookie deal and can learn to be more mature. 

With that in mind, it does not sound like the Steelers are very interested in getting intel out of Johnson. If the team wanted him out of the building in 2023, there is no reason why it would want him back in 2024, especially with everything he has done in Baltimore. Who knows if Johnson would even talk to his former coaches if they wanted to use him to gain an edge?

Even though Johnson forced himself out of Pittsburgh, the Ravens seemingly don't want to take any chances. The slim odds of him returning to his former team is enough to make DeCosta hold on to him for a little bit longer. Maybe he gets cut after the game is over, but the unhappy marriage will have to last until Johnson's ex leaves town for good. 

Steelers May Already Have Plenty Of Intel On Ravens

Even if Johnson were to go back to the Steelers, he may just share some knowledge that the team already knowns. Pittsburgh signed three former Ravens in the 2024 offseason, including two players who were on the team in 2023. DeShon Elliott was the lone player that did not come straight to Pennsylvania from Maryland. 

Jeremiah Moon was claimed off waivers from the Ravens. Even though the Steelers traded for Preston Smith to load up on edge rusher depth even more, Moon still has a spot on the roster. With the hated divisional rivals playing each other in Week 16, Pittsburgh may be keeping him around to give the team some more intel.

Meanwhile, Patrick Queen was a starter in all four years in Baltimore. The defensive play-caller was always in the middle of everything for the Ravens, so he may know a few things about how they operate too. Obviously, getting Johnson's notes from the team would help, but would it be worth the trouble, especially with the fact that the Steelers already have plenty of former Ravens?

What do you think about DeCosta holding on to Johnson for a little bit longer because of the Steelers potentially picking him up? Let us know in the comments.

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