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

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 band Johnson who signed with the Cleveland Browns during the offseason broke his silence this month on what ultimately led to that suspension During an appearance on the Sport and Suits podcast Johnson revealed it was the cold weather during the Ravens Week matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles that prompted him to refuse to go back into the tournament after wide receiver Rashod Bateman went down with an injury in the third quarter CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS COM 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 meeting 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 contest RAVENS WAIVE PRO BOWL RECEIVER DIONTAE JOHNSON AFTER DRAMA-FILLED TENURE I'd checked out mentally I was like 'Whatever happens happens ' I was just rolling with the punches at that time So I described them I wasn't going in I was like 'I understand what you're saying but I'm not going to go in ' So I just sat on the bench and that's when they suspended me Johnson was suspended from the Ravens' Week win over the New York Giants and was subsequently excused from all club programs the following week He was then waived by the Ravens He explained that he requested that he be distributed I already knew if I went back I was going to be in the doghouse even more he disclosed So I just solicited to get issued and I got picked up by Houston Johnson was traded to the Carolina Panthers in March and then was sent to Baltimore midseason After being circulated by the Ravens he signed with the Houston Texans where he appeared in one meeting before being waived He signed a one-year deal with the Browns this offseason where he joins a receiving room that doesn t have countless viable options other than Jerry Jeudy As for the weather in Cleveland Johnson already knows what s in store for him I m not even trying to think about that The Associated Press contributed to this summary Follow Fox News Digital s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter