There have been a lot of rumors ahead of the NFL trade deadline that New York Jets defensive end Jermaine Johnson could be moved.
On Wednesday, October 22, Johnson took to social media to make his stance very clear. He posted a “The Wolf of Wall Street” GIF with the caption, “I’m not leavin’, I’m not leavin’, I’m not [expletive] leavin’!”
An Eyebrow Raising Update From an Insider on Johnson
On October 13, NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY revealed that Johnson had “come up” in trade discussions with other teams that needed an edge rusher. A team that was involved in those conversations with the Jets told Hughes that it would “take a lot” to acquire Johnson.
That story has now taken another twist.
“I know that there have been ingoing and outgoing calls from Florham Park about Jermaine Johnson. This hasn’t just been teams calling the Jets; the Jets have also been calling people. I know that Jermaine Johnson is viewed around the league as a player that is available for the right price,” Hughes explained on “Jets Final Drive.”
“I don’t know what the Jets are asking for Jermaine Johnson. The team that I touched base with, who had direct communication and discussions with the Jets, simply told me, ‘too high.’ That is what I was told. They were asking for too much, and it was too high of a pick, and they were not going to go there. A reasonable offer for Jermaine Johnson, I was told, is a third-round pick. You might find a team that is super desperate and goes a two, but again, you’re talking about a player who is a good, not great, pass rusher, good run stuffer, coming off an Achilles injury, and also already had an ankle injury this year,” Hughes added.
Insights From ESPN on Johnson Trade Rumors
ESPN ranked the top 25 players who could be moved at the NFL trade deadline. Johnson was the 10th-ranked player on that list.
ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler wrote, “The Jets are not desperate to trade Johnson; good edge rushers are hard to find, and his $13.4 million salary for 2026 (a fifth-year option) is reasonable. But my sense after asking around is that New York would be more willing to part with Johnson than Will McDonald IV if it made any move at the position. McDonald is in the third year of his rookie deal, whereas Johnson is in his fourth. And Johnson has garnered a bit of interest thus far.”
“An Achilles injury forced Johnson to miss 15 games in 2024, and he had to sit for three earlier this season with an ankle issue. But when healthy, he has the strength and the lower-body quickness to attack the pocket. Johnson had his best numbers in 2023 (pre-Achilles injury), when he totaled 7.5 sacks and 16 pressures,” ESPN’s Matt Bowen wrote.
For each player that was put on the list, ESPN put a predicted trade percentage chance on who will be dealt. There is a 35% chance that Johnson gets moved ahead of the Tuesday, November 4 deadline.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears were listed as potential team fits for Johnson.
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