John Harbaugh's Cryptic Comments On Diontae Johnson Raise More Questions Than Answers

After Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked what's going on with Dionte Johnson. But his response left us with more questions than answers.

The Ravens acquired Johnson from the Carolina Panthers in late October, just before the trade deadline. The former Pro Bowler was supposed to add a much-needed boost to Baltimore's receivers room as the team entered the second half of the season. Instead, though, he's been virtually non-existent. Johnson has seen just five targets for 6 yards over the past four games, and he didn't play a single snap in Sunday's 24-19 loss to Philadelphia.

Diontae Johnson has been a non-factor since the Ravens acquired him in a trade earlier this season.

(Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

When reporters asked Harbaugh why Johnson didn't take the field in Week 13, the Ravens' head coach was intentionally cryptic.

"I'm not really ready to comment on that right now," Harbaugh said. "I will be, (but I) just don't have enough information right now to talk about that."

Johnson's absence was especially glaring since his teammate, wide receiver Rashod Bateman, left the game early with a knee injury.

Instead, Harbaugh leaned on Zay Flowers, who led the wideouts with seven targets, recording three catches for 74 yards. Tight end Isaiah Likely had five catches on eight targets for 38 yards and a touchdown, and tight end Mark Andrews had six catches on seven targets for 67 yards and a touchdown.

Without making assumptions, it's worth noting that Johnson has a history of off-the-field attitude issues. Before signing with the Panthers this past off-season, the 28-year-old had become downright problematic in the Pittsburgh Steelers' locker room — regularly airing his frustration with the team's offensive woes and carousel of quarterbacks. That trend continued in Carolina.

It's unclear if that's what's happening now in Baltimore.

WATCH: Diontae Johnson Calls Out Panthers Teammates: ‘I Can’t Play Every Position'

A third-round pick out of Toledo in 2019, Johnson spent his first five NFL seasons with the Steelers. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2021 when he had 107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns.