Diontae Johnson Has Been Suspended One Game for Refusing to Play for the Ravens

Typically, NFL players understand that playing the games is a big part of their job. The Baltimore Ravens faced an odd situation, though, when wide receiver Diontae Johnson refused to enter the game during their eventual loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 1.

Diontae was ultimately suspended for one game for refusing to play, and now, many want to better understand exactly what happened and why he refused to play. Here's what we know.

While Diontae never fully explained his rationale, and no one on the Ravens has either, the most likely answer is that Diontae refused to play because he was upset about how he had been used since he was traded from the Carolina Panthers to the Ravens in the middle of the season. Diontae was the leading receiver for the Panthers through seven games but only has one catch for six yards for the Ravens on 39 total snaps.

Diontae's refusal to enter the game was especially strange because starting wide receiver Rashod Bateman went down during the game with a knee injury. Diontae suited up but could be seen standing by a heater through most of the game.

His lack of production will likely hurt his trade value heading into the off-season, but he's only making those numbers worse by refusing to enter the game when he's needed.

Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh has not committed to whether Diontae will return to the team next season. After the game, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson made it clear that the Ravens see a valuable role for Diontae on their roster, even if he hasn't found it yet.

"We want him out there," Lamar said. "He's a great receiver. We didn't get him from the Panthers for nothing."

The Ravens sent a fifth-round pick to the Panthers in exchange for Diontae and a sixth-round selection. The move was meant to shore up Baltimore's receiving core in a low-risk way, as Carolina agreed to pick up most of Diontae's salary for the year.

So far, though, the Ravens haven't seen much value from Diontae, in part because they haven't used him much, and in part because he has refused to play and will now be suspended for the Ravens game against the Giants.

Of course, it's worth pointing out that a player frustrated about his usage should want to play, and would likely jump at the chance to be more involved in the offense. Instead, Diontae took the opposite approach, getting mad that he wasn't playing and then, as a result, refusing to play when he was asked to.

It's possible that this suspension will help him refocus and recommit to the team. It's also possible, though, that Diontae's relationship with the Ravens is essentially over before it ever really got off the ground. If you have a football player who doesn't want to play football, there's not much you can do.