Jermaine Johnson is the newest defender to see his Jets tenure come to an end under the team’s latest regime. The fifth-year edge rusher is on the move.
Johnson is being traded by the Jets to the Titans, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat is heading to Latest York in return. Like all trades, the ultimate agreement is pending a physical for each players. This swap won’t be finalized until after the brand new league yr begins, Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes.
This swap will allow for Johnson to reunite with Robert Saleh. The 2 were previously together on the Jets, and after a one-year stint as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator Saleh was hired last month to take charge of the Titans. Adding along the sting has been seen as a critical need in Tennessee’s case, and before free agency has even begun the team has already lined up a move on that front.
Saleh’s arrival led to a change in scheme, something which Russini notes made Sweat more of a trade chip. In two Tennessee seasons, the previous second-rounder has posted 85 stops and eight tackles for loss. Sweat, who will turn 25 in July, has two years remaining on his rookie contract. He’ll look to supply Latest York with a starting presence along the inside and by doing so help fill the emptiness created by the Quinnen Williams deal.
Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner were each traded away on the 2025 deadline. The Jets’ latest decision-making tandem of general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn received considerable interest in Johnson as well, but no deal was worked out in his case. Latest York rejected a suggestion including a third-round pick on the time, but that didn’t ensure Johnson would remain in place for 2026.
A December report indicated it was highly unlikely Johnson would work out an extension with the Jets. The 27-year-old will play out his fifth-year option in 2026, but he’ll accomplish that on a brand new team. Johnson is due $13.41MM and can carry the identical cap charge on Tennessee, a team which might comfortably afford a rise in costs along the defensive front. The identical can also be true of the Jets, after all, so it is going to be interesting to see how they proceed within the pass-rush department this spring.
Latest York owns the second overall pick in April’s draft. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is universally expected to be chosen first overall, which is able to leave the Jets in line so as to add at a unique position. That would lead to a pass rusher equivalent to hybrid linebacker/EDGE Arvell Reese hearing his name called on the No. 2 slot. Free agency may even present the Jets with various options so as to add options on the sting.
Johnson had a quiet rookie season but earned a Pro Bowl nod based on his strong play in 2023. The Florida State product notched 7.5 sacks and 25 QB pressures, resulting in high expectations for a powerful follow-up campaign. Nonetheless, an Achilles tear limited Johnson to only two games in 2024. He managed to make 14 appearances this past season, but in that point Johnson only recorded three sacks. A turnaround in Tennessee would go a good distance in shaping his financial future.
The Jets ranked twenty ninth against the run last season. Improving on that figure will probably be a key priority, and Sweat will probably be tasked with helping out on early downs specifically. The 6-4, 366-pounder was certainly one of many Tennessee players who drew interest on the trade front this past fall, and his stock within the organization was not believed to be particularly high heading into the offseason. A change of scenery could prove to be useful to all parties.
After this swap becomes official, the Titans and Jets will still be among the many league leaders in cap flexibility. Each teams even have considerable draft capital in the intervening time, so several more moves may very well be coming soon.