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Jets HC Aaron Glenn has high hopes for DE Jermaine Johnson in his return.
As roster moves trickle in throughout the league, the New York Jets have a great idea of who they’ll enter the 2025-26 campaign with.
Aaron Glenn’s team is taking shape with Week 1 on the horizon. While players like Justin Fields will dominate the attention, a defensive star is flying under the radar.
Perhaps not for long. It might be the calm before the storm for defensive end Jermaine Johnson, if you ask Glenn, as he works his way back from injury.
Aaron Glenn: ‘No-Brainer’ That Jermaine Johnson Is Ready to Help Jets
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Glenn raved about Johnson’s mindset. The Pro Bowl pass rusher is in a great place ahead of what will be his first game back from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“You want players that you have to pull the reins back [with] instead of telling him, ‘Let’s giddy up!’” Glenn said. “He’s been excited to get out there and get ready to go. When you have a guy like that, that you have this season-ending injury, it kind of puts things in perspective of just how quick this game can be gone. Like, instantly. With his personality and knowing he was out for a year, it’s a no-brainer he’s going to be ready to come back.”
It’s been a long road back for Johnson. The former first-round pick made just two appearances a season ago. In Week 2’s outing against the Tennessee Titans, he suffered one of the scariest injuries an athlete can encounter. That sent him down a grueling rehabilitation path filled with trials and tribulations.
Now on the other side of it, Johnson was activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on August 11. That signaled his continued progression towards practicing, which he’s done despite not appearing in the preseason. New York emphasized playing the long game with him.
Debuting in the regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers was always the end goal. Glenn seems to be optimistic about that track.
Johnson Taking Notice of ‘Noise’ Ahead of Potential Revenge Season
With that said, it’s natural to expect Johnson to need some time to get acclimated again. Even with youth (26 years old) and athleticism on his side, that can only take a player so far. Very few players in any sport are able to bounce right back from an Achilles tear. Asking an edge defender in the modern NFL to do that is a tall demand.
Jets fans may give Johnson some leeway, but he isn’t extending that to himself. Earlier this summer, he told team reporter Caroline Hendershot that he hears and sees the doubters.
“I see all the noise,” Johnson said. “‘Oh, it usually takes a year [and] he is not going to feel like himself for a while.’ I like to feel how I like to feel, and I don’t have any ceiling on myself. I never do. I feel like I need to pick up exactly where I left off, and I need to come out swinging. There is no excuse — I don’t have one. I’m going to pick up where I left off.”
Getting back to 2023 form would be a massive boost for New York. In that season, Johnson played in all 17 games and recorded 55 tackles (11 for loss), 7.5 sacks and 7 passes broken up. Advanced metrics from Pro Football Focus also loved his output. Among 146 edge players with 100-plus snaps, his 83.0 overall grade and 73.7 pass rush grade ranked 18th and 39th, respectively.
If the Jets reach their 2025-26 goals, it’ll be because Johnson helps them by reaching his. Neither he nor Glenn is lacking in optimism for that.
Jordan Foote is a seasoned sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com with an emphasis on the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. He has years of experience publishing NFL and MLB content for Sports Illustrated’s On SI vertical, in addition to a background in NBA coverage for multiple outlets. Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media. He’s based in Kansas City. More about Jordan Foote
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