The New York Jets 2024 season spun out of control after Jermaine Johnson blew out his Achilles in the Week 2 contest against the Tennessee Titans.
Shortly after the game, Johnson was ruled out for the rest of the season.
The former Florida State product told Brian Costello of the New York Post at Super Bowl media row that, “he will be ready for OTAs in May after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.”
A Looming Johnson Decision Awaits New Jets Regime
Johnson, 26, has at least one more year left on his rookie contract through the 2025 season.
That is because the Jets have to decide on Johnson’s fifth-year option by early May. If the team exercises it, Johnson will be under contract for the next two seasons. However, if they decline it, Johnson will be scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
According to Over The Cap’s projections, Johnson’s fifth-year option is expected to be $14.73 million fully guaranteed. That new annual salary would rank No. 19 among the highest-paid pass rushers in the NFL, per Over The Cap.
There is a lot of complicating factors at play.
Johnson is an older prospect than your typical first-round pick because of his unique path to the NFL level. He is coming off of a very serious injury that could rob him of his explosiveness. Also, the regime that drafted and believed in him is no longer employed by the Jets. A brand new regime has taken over and they’re analyzing and assessing the roster in their own way.
Does Johnson fit into their plans? Time will tell.
Johnson Has the Right Mentality for the Jets
The Jets should want Johnson back because he’s a dynamic player.
Johnson through his first three seasons has racked up 10 sacks, 21 quarterback hits, seven pass deflections, and a highlight reel pick-six. The highlight of Johnson’s professional tenure was securing the first Pro Bowl berth of his career following the 2023 campaign.
Despite some of those accolades, Johnson clears the mechanism each offseason.
“How I look at it anyway throw the Pro Bowl season in the trash, I gotta restart. That is how I was going into 2024 anyway. You gotta earn success, it is rented, one purchase ain’t ohh you’re successful. You gotta rent it. My mindset was coming to earn it anyway. Cool – popped an Achilles, first major injury – let’s earn it again,” Johnson said on “PFT Live.”
“I’ve been through so much on my journey here and I didn’t come this far to be an average player or to make the Pro Bowl one time. I came to help my teammates win a Super Bowl. I talked to AG [Aaron Glenn] about this, if you put the team first and you play the game the right way you’re going to get back tenfold what you’re supposed to get. So I’m not worried about none of the Pro Bowl or all of that. If I do this game the right way and I play it how I’ve always played it, all of that will handle itself,” Johnson said.
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