Most of the offseason attention in Cleveland has understandably been given to the quarterback situation. The Browns have yet to tighten the QB rotation and have four signal-callers with a chance to start in Week 1. While that will be the biggest determining factor in how far the Browns go in 2025, there are other question marks surrounding the team.
One of those is with regard to the wide receiver rotation. Jerry Jeudy will start the season as the WR1, and Cedric Tillman will hopefully continue his improvement to become the WR2. The pecking order after that is very much up in the air. A big reason why is the perplexing offseason Diontae Johnson is having.
Diontae Johnson May Have Cost Himself With Perplexing Offseason
After having a lost season in 2024, playing for three teams and wearing out his welcome in all three, Johnson signed a one-year, $1.17 million deal with the Browns. This was the perfect opportunity for the 28-year-old to revive his career, since he later admitted that he felt "humbled" that no other team was interested in him in the offseason.
One would think that a player who felt that way wouldn't miss his team's OTAs. Yet, that wasn't the case for Johnson. Until the mandatory minicamp, Johnson was nowhere to be seen.
Admittedly, OTAs are voluntary, and plenty of veterans skip them every season. At the same time, Johnson should be on his best behavior as he tries to re-establish his career. He has a chance to be the WR3, a role that no other team in the NFL would even consider giving him, but instead of grabbing this chance by the horns, he took a big step towards squandering it.
There is still a chance Johnson can turn things around and make an impact in Cleveland in 2025. However, he certainly made things harder for himself. A slow start to the season will have Browns fans turning against the former Steelers playmaker.