Who Should I Start? Diontae Johnson or Michael Pittman Jr.

Wednesday, January 15, 5:04 PM

The Baltimore Ravens claimed wide receiver Diontae Johnson off waivers from the Houston Texans on Wednesday. However, per NFL rules, Johnson won't be awarded to the Ravens until after the Super Bowl, so he won't be eligible to play in the rest of the postseason. Johnson has had quite the wild ride this year, starting the year with the Carolina Panthers before being dealt to Baltimore at the trade deadline. After being suspended for conduct detrimental to the team and catching only one of five targets for six yards in four games with the Ravens, he was released and picked up by the Texans. He caught three of five targets for 24 yards in his two games with Houston before being waived, and now he's back in Baltimore. The 28-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent in March, so there's a good chance he won't open the 2025 season with the Ravens.

Friday, January 10, 12:10 PM

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) will not require surgery for the fractured back that he played through late in the 2024 season. "One tough dude. Example of what you want," Ballard said. It's a testament to Pittman's toughness that he missed just one game due to his back injury. But the 27-year-old's back issues and inconsistent play from the quarterback position in Indianapolis in 2024 led to Pittman posting only 808 receiving yards -- his fewest since his rookie season in 2020 -- to go with 69 receptions (also his lowest mark since 2020) and only three touchdowns in 16 games. Better health will give him a chance to rebound in 2025, but his overall upside might be dependent on quarterback Anthony Richardson's health and his ability to improve as a passer.