Jermaine Johnson, Jets
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Former New York Jets pass rusher Jermaine Johnson trying to make a play during an NFL game against the New England Patriots.
A deal has been struck.
The New York Jets have agreed to a trade with the Tennessee Titans, flipping pass rusher Jermaine Johnson for nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter shared.
“The trade cannot be processed until the start of the new league year” on March 11, Schefter added.
Reconnecting With an Old Friend
When former Jets coach Robert Saleh landed the HC job with the Titans, there were plenty of people who connected the dots to potential trades between these teams this offseason.
A potential Sweat Jets-Titans trade was previously discussed on social media.
Johnson, 27, now reunites with the coach who originally drafted him. The former Florida State product has one year left on his rookie contract. It is a $13.4 million fully guaranteed fifth-year team option that the team exercised last offseason.
Johnson has appeared in 47 games and has made 32 starts. With those opportunities, Johnson has collected 13 sacks, 27 quarterback hits, 20 tackles for loss, nine pass deflections, a pick-six, and 131 total tackles.
The Jets Add Their Big Man in the Middle
There have been plenty of breadcrumbs this offseason that have suggested the Jets will operate as a 3-4 base defense. They had been a primarily 4-3 base defense.
However, to make that change, the Jets would need a nose tackle that could eat up space in the middle.
Sweat, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 366 pounds, has officially entered the chat.
The former Texas product entered the league as the No. 38 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
He has two years left on his $9.5 million rookie contract.
Sweat, 24, has appeared in 29 games and has made 28 starts. With those opportunities, he has registered three sacks, six quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss, and 85 tackles.
Top Social Media Reactions to This Jets-Titans Trade
“Jermaine Johnson will be reunited with Robert Saleh. Scheme has something to do with this. T’Vondre Sweat is massive (6-4, 362), and Saleh likes smaller, faster DLM. The Jets need a big body/run stuffer in the middle of their D-line,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini explained.
Rich Cimini
Jermaine Johnson will be reunited with Robert Saleh. Scheme has something to do with this. T’Vondre Sweat is massive (6-4, 362), and Saleh likes smaller, faster DLM.
The Jets need a big body/run stuffer in the middle of their D-line. #Jets
Cimini added that Johnson was “dangled” in trade talks ahead of the deadline last November. Now, a few months later, he is gone.
“While the Jets will deploy a versatile defense, the base, I’m told, will have a lot of 3-4 principles. That made Johnson expendable — he’s a 4-3 DE. This FA market is deep in edges who will fit what Aaron Glenn’s defense will now look to do. They also get a pretty good NT to eat up the middle of their line, help a run defense that was quite poor a year ago,” NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY posted.
Connor Hughes
While the #Jets will deploy a versatile defense, the base, I’m told, will have a lot of 3-4 principles. That made Johnson expendable — he’s a 4-3 DE.
This FA market is deep in edges who will fit what Aaron Glenn’s defense will now look to do. They also get a pretty good NT to
“The Jets are not having a fire sale, but Jermaine Johnson isn’t the only player available. [I] was told from multiple sources, who had conversations with New York here in Indianapolis, that they are open to dealing & listening,” Hughes added.
Connor Hughes
The #Jets are not having a fire sale, but Jermaine Johnson isn’t the only player available.
Was told from multiple sources, who had conversations with New York here in Indianapolis, that they are open to dealing & listening.
“The trade is pending physicals for both players and cannot be processed until the start of the new league year,” NFL Insider Dianna Russini said.