Ex-Ravens receiver Diontae Johnson says he refused to enter a game last year because of cold weather

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Veteran NFL receiver Diontae Johnson suited up for three different teams last season, including a brief and seemingly unharmonious stint with the Baltimore Ravens that saw the wideout get suspended and waived after just four games with the team. 

Johnson, who signed with the Cleveland Browns during the offseason, broke his silence this month on what ultimately led to that suspension. 

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson (16) participates in individual drills during practice at NFL minicamp, Wednesday, Jun. 11, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. (IMAGN)

During an appearance on the "Sport and Suits" podcast, Johnson revealed it was the cold weather during the Ravens’ Week 13 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles that prompted him to refuse to go back into the game after wide receiver Rashod Bateman went down with an injury in the third quarter. 

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"It was cold. So, I'm on the sideline, just standing there, just going to the heater – back and forth – just waiting to hear my name called. So, end of third going into the fourth, they're like, 'Tae, we need you.' I'm like, 'Nah.' To me, I'm thinking, 'I don't think it's a good idea for me,' because I was thinking about, like, my legs – I don't want to go out there and put bad stuff on film.

"It's not like I didn't want to go in the game, but you've got to think, like, leading up to this point, I'd been through so much."

Johnson, who is no stranger to cold-weather games after five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, explained that it was more than just the frigid temps that kept him out of the game. 

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod