The first year in Kellen Moore's offense has presented a different Juwan Johnson than New Orleans Saints fans have seen. He's become a focus in the offense, something that used to only be achieved through injuries around him. Johnson expressed wanting to be somewhere he was wanted leading up to free agency. It's safe to say Moore is showing Johnson he's wanted in New Orleans.
So far this season, Johnson has been targeted 20 times. Furthermore, he's been targeted on 27% of his routes, a career high for him. Currently, he's on pace for 170 targets, over 1,000 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. The 170 mark would be far and away the NFL record for most in a season by a TE, shattering Zach Ertz' previous record of 156 he set back in 2018.
This is something that Johnson was hoping for before the season started. His biggest goal this year was to become reliable for his quarterback, Spencer Rattler. "I just want to be that kind of reliable safe haven for him." That's typically what a tight end is for a young quarterback, and Rattler clearly trusts Johnson.
Despite the historic pace he's on, Saints TE Juwan Johnson has yet to win over the fanbase completely
Johnson still has to win over the fans in New Orleans. Many continue to criticize him for what they consider untimely drops. "Juwan Johnson is so useless, man," one person on X said after he dropped what would've been a game-tying touchdown. Another said that Michael Thomas, a former Saints wide receiver who hasn't played in two years, would be better than Johnson after he dropped two easy passes in a row.
However, he still has the support of his teammates, with his quarterback, Spencer Rattler, giving him some praise after the loss to the San Francisco 49ers. "He made a big-time catch," Rattler said when asked about his touchdown pass to the TE. "They pressured us a little bit in that moment, but I knew where I was going with the ball. He was ready and made a big-time catch in a big moment. He's a Baller."
You could make a legitimate argument that Johnson is Rattler's favorite target. The only person who comes close is Chris Olave. Going into the season, no one was thinking Johnson would be competing to be the top target on the team. At best, the tight end would have fell behind Olave and Rashid Shaheed.