NFL CAREER – The former Penn State and Oregon wideout joined the Saints in 2020 following the NFL Draft and transitioned to tight end his second season. In 2023, the New Jersey native had a breakout campaign as he appeared in 16 games with 12 starts and finished with 42 receptions for 508 yards and a team-best seven touchdown grabs.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension, 3/11/23; Activated from Reserve/COVID-19, 12/28/21; Placed on Reserve/COVID-19, 12/21/21; Signed to active roster from practice squad, 12/19/20; Elevated to active roster, 12/12/20; Elevated to active roster, 12/5/20; Elevated to active roster, 10/31/20; Elevated to active roster, 10/24/20; Agreed to terms on a practice squad contract, 9/6/20; Waived, 9/5/20; Agreed to terms with Saints, 4/27/20.
2022 – Played in 16 games with 12 starts, finishing with 42 receptions for 508 yards and a team-best seven touchdown grabs, which was tied for third among NFL tight ends. Also added one special teams tackle…At Atlanta, Sept. 11, played on offense and special teams and recorded two catches for a career-high 43 yards…Vs. Tampa Bay, Sept. 18, recorded four catches for 40 yards…At Carolina, Sept. 25, started and saw action on special teams, recording one assisted coverage tackle…Vs. Minnesota (London), Oct. 2, appeared on offense and special teams and caught three passes for 33 yards…Vs. Seattle, Oct. 9, saw time on offense and special teams and had one 13-yard catch…Vs. Cincinnati, Oct. 16, started and saw action on special teams and caught four passes for 41 yards…At Arizona, Oct. 20, started and saw action on special teams and caught a career-high five passes for 32 yards and a career-best tying two touchdown grabs…Vs. Las Vegas, Oct. 30, started and saw action on special teams and had two receptions for 14 yards…Vs. Baltimore, Nov. 7, started and saw action on special teams and finished with two receptions for 42 yards, including a career-long 41-yard scoring grab…At Pittsburgh, Nov. 13, started and saw action on special teams and finished with career-high tying five receptions for 44 yards with a 15-yard TD…Vs. Los Angeles Rams, Nov. 20, started in three-tight end set and saw action on special teams and caught three passes for a career-high 47 yards with one touchdown to set a career-high for scoring grabs (team-best five)...At San Francisco, Nov. 27, started and saw action on special teams…Vs. Atlanta, Dec. 18, started at TE and led team in receiving, hauling in four passes for a career-high 67 yards with two touchdowns. The two scores marked his second multi-touchdown game of the season and third of his career, and made him the team leader in touchdown receptions…At Cleveland, Dec. 24, started and played on special teams and recorded a nine-yard reception…At Philadelphia, 1/1/23, started and finished with career-high tying five receptions for 62 yards…In finale vs. Carolina, 1/8/23, started and finished with a 21-yard reception. 2021 – Played in 14 games with two starts and finished season with 13 receptions for 159 yards (12.2 avg.) and four touchdowns…In season opener vs. Green Bay, Sept. 12 (played in Jacksonville, Fla. due to Hurricane Ida), caught three passes for 21 yards and recorded his first two NFL TDs, helping the Saints defeat the Packers 38-3…At Carolina, Sept. 19, recorded a 23-yard reception…Vs. New York Giants, Oct. 3, recorded two receptions for 20 yards and one touchdown…Vs. Tampa Bay, Oct. 31, made first career start at TE…At Tennessee, Nov. 14, caught two passes for 36 yards…vs. Dallas, Dec. 12, had a 27-yard catch…At Atlanta 1/9/22, caught a pass for a five-yard touchdown. 2020 – Played in seven games with four starts in rookie campaign at WR...Totaled four receptions for 39 yards (9.8 avg)…Made debut, starting and playing on special teams vs. Carolina, Oct. 25...At Chicago, Nov. 1, caught first career pass, a five-yard grab from QB Drew Brees...Recorded key first-down pickup from Taysom Hill to bring the ball to the Eagles 39-yard line on a 11-yard reception on a touchdown drive at Philadelphia, Dec. 13…Contributed on offense and special teams and caught a pass for a 19-yard gain from Brees vs. Minnesota, Dec. 25.
COLLEGE – Played as a graduate transfer at Oregon in 2019 after playing at Penn State from 2016-18…In four college seasons, played in 47 games and recorded 111 receptions for 1,590 yards and six touchdowns…In 2019, played in the final ten games for the Ducks after missing the first four with a calf injury and recorded 30 receptions for 467 yards (15.6 avg.) and six touchdowns, finishing second on the team with eight grabs over 20 yards…As a Penn State junior in 2018, played in ten games and made seven starts, finishing with 25 catches for 352 yards and a TD…As a sophomore, started all 13 games and finished seventh in Big Ten in receptions (54) and receiving yards (701)…As redshirt freshman in 2016, appeared in all 14 games, primarily on special teams and ranked second on team with nine coverage stops, including eight on kickoff return, one blocked punt and added two receptions for 70 yards…Graduated in 2018 from Penn State with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications.
PERSONAL – Consensus four-star and top 200 prospect by multiple recruiting outlets and services at Glassboro (N.J.) HS…Rated as the No. 115 overall prospect and the No. 12 wideout in the nation in the final 247Sports composite rating…Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and also advanced to Nike's "The Opening" Finals camp in Eugene, Ore…Had 42 catches for 804 yards (19.1 avg.) with nine TDs and two rushing scores as senior and made 22 stops at DB...Also played basketball…Younger brother of former Saints DE George Johnson, who played in the NFL from 2011-17, closing out his playing career with the Black and Gold in 2017…Played in the 2022 and 2023 Saints Hall of Fame Golf Tournaments at Chateau Country Club…Although Johnson missed the Dec. 5 'My Cause My Cleats' matchup at Tampa Bay, his cleats were painted to support Culture Aid NOLA, which provides fresh food with twice weekly distributions. The cleats were auctioned off with the proceeds to benefit the nonprofit…Interacted with fans at the 2023 New Orleans Saints Draft Crawfish Cook-off event, which benefited several Autism-related non-profits…In April, provided a perspective on his career pivot to tight end and teaching football skills in leading a clinic with a group of talented New Orleans-area female flag football stars…Born on September 13, 1996 in Stratford, N.J.
