It couldn’t be more factual. Johnson’s lack of involvement in Sunday’s game raised eyebrows, especially after the Ravens replaced the injured Rashod Bateman with Tylan Wallace.

Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh was vague on the subject Monday, providing an answer that left a lot of room for interpretation, including the possibility of Johnson’s release. Two days later, we learned that the Ravens sent Johnson home instead, deciding to punish the receiver more than a week before they returned to the field.

Baltimore acquired Johnson during the 2024 season through a trade with the Carolina Panthers, sending a conditional Day 3 pick to Carolina as part of a pick swap in exchange for the receiver, who comes with AFC North experience from his five seasons in the Charm City came with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The step seemed to be a given. Baltimore brought in a veteran who had proven capable of making a difference during his short tenure with the Panthers, catching 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns before being traded to the Ravens.

On paper, Johnson would give Lamar Jackson another experienced pass catcher for a Ravens team with Super Bowl aspirations. Instead of paying off, the trade did the opposite. Johnson has one catch for 6 yards in five games with the Ravens and has been mostly noticed for his lack of production.

He’ll spend the next 11 days out of the spotlight in Baltimore, where the Ravens clearly won’t tolerate any nonsense on their path to the playoffs that will hopefully end with a Super Bowl triumph. Whether Johnson will take part in such a prosecution remains to be seen.