Diontae Johnson landed with the Houston Texans on Monday after they claimed him off waivers, and there was one other AFC contender that reportedly had interest in the veteran wide receiver as well.
The Los Angeles Chargers also put in a claim for Johnson, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Houston had priority over the Chargers in the waiver order.
The Chargers improved to 9-6 with their win over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night. They enter Week 17 as the No. 6 seed in the AFC, so they have a good chance of making the playoffs. Like the Texans, they have a need at wide receiver.
Ladd McConkey has had an excellent rookie season with 69 catches for 960 yards and 5 touchdowns in 14 games. The Chargers lack a true No. 2 wide receiver, though Quentin Johnson has been an excellent red-zone target with 8 touchdown catches. Joshua Palmer is L.A.’s second-leading receiver with just 543 yards.
Johnson had an unsuccessful brief tenure in Baltimore that included a suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. Still, he is a former Pro Bowl wideout who had a 1,000-yard season in 2021. Teams obviously feel the 28-year-old has plenty of upside.
