Jermaine Johnson posted a heartfelt goodbye to New York on Thursday—”Y’all will always hold a special place in my heart”—then immediately followed it with an all-caps explosion: “TENNESSEE LETS [censored] WORK!!!!” The tonal whiplash wasn’t an accident. It was relief. The Pro Bowl edge rusher who tore his Achilles and watched his production collapse just became the latest casualty in the Jets’ systematic demolition of their 2022 “Core Four” draft class. Sauce Gardner, traded. Quinnen Williams, traded. Now, Johnson was shipped to the Tennessee Titans for nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat in a deal that became official Thursday. Garrett Wilson stands alone in a locker room that’s been gutted around him. Eight of the Jets’ eleven first-round picks from 2015 to 2022 are gone. This isn’t a rebuild anymore. This is organizational surrender with a salary cap spreadsheet.
$13.4 Million Walking Out the Door
Sep 15, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New York Jets linebacker Jermaine Johnson (11) takes the field against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Johnson was set to earn $13.4 million in guaranteed money on his fifth-year option in 2026. The Jets decided that the price tag didn’t match the production. He posted just 3 sacks in 14 games last season, a 60% drop from the 7.5 sacks that earned him a Pro Bowl nod in 2023. A torn Achilles in Week 2 of 2024 rewrote his trajectory, and at 27, the Jets weren’t willing to bet $13 million he’d find it again. His 2025 pressure rate ranked 110th out of 184 pass rushers, a steep fall for a first-round pick entering his contract year.
The Farewell Nobody Believed
Jul 25, 2024; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets linebacker Jermaine Johnson (11) speaks to the media after training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Johnson took to X within hours: “New York, thank you for everything, truly. The love I’ve been shown here for the past 4-5 years has been nothing short of amazing, both on and off the field. Y’all will always hold a special place in my heart.” Then came the follow-up—all caps, no filter: “TENNESSEE LETS [censored] WORK!!!!” That tonal whiplash said more than any press conference could. Heartfelt goodbye in one breath, unfiltered excitement in the next. That’s not a man mourning his departure. That’s a man who couldn’t wait to leave.
The Fired Coach Gets His Guy
Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Robert Saleh went 20-36 as Jets head coach before getting canned. Now running Tennessee, he just reacquired the player he drafted 26th overall in 2022. Johnson will also reconnect with defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton, who was his position coach for three seasons in New York. The Titans are banking on scheme fit and familiarity unlocking whatever Johnson has left. With roughly $100 million in cap space and the No. 4 overall pick, Saleh has the tools his Jets tenure never afforded him.
What the Jets Actually Got
Tennessee Titans defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat (93) takes the field before their game against the New England Patriots at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.
T’Vondre Sweat is 6-foot-4, 366 pounds, 24 years old, and costs just $1.6 million against the cap in 2026—88% cheaper than Johnson’s guaranteed salary. He was Tennessee’s second-round pick in 2024, and despite missing five games with an ankle injury last season, he remained productive with 85 career tackles across 29 games. His run-stopping ability ranked among the best at his position in 2025, posting elite marks in both PFF’s grading system and tackle efficiency metrics. ESPN graded the Jets’ side of this deal an A-minus for a reason.
A Defense That Hit Rock Bottom
Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Jets allowed 29.6 points per game in 2025, second-worst in the NFL. Their defense ranked 30th in efficiency. And then there’s the number that will follow this franchise forever: zero interceptions across the entire 17-game season. Not one. First time that’s happened since the NFL started tracking interceptions in 1933. Opposing quarterbacks threw 36 passing touchdowns against them without a single turnover through the air. That isn’t a coaching problem or a scheme problem. That’s an organizational catastrophe.
Glenn’s Superpower Gamble
Jan 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn looks on during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Head coach Aaron Glenn watched that nightmare unfold and made a decision: he’s calling defensive plays himself in 2026. He fired coordinator Steve Wilks late last season, hired Brian Duker, then promptly took the keys back. “Play calling is my superpower, really,” Glenn said at the NFL Combine. He pointed to his four years building Detroit’s defense from nothing into a top-ten unit. Glenn’s betting his job on repeating that process, except this time, the cupboard is emptier and the pressure is immediate.
The Core Four Myth
Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) runs for a touchdown against New England Patriots safety Brenden Schooler (41) during the second half of the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
The 2022 Jets draft class was supposed to be different. Three first-round picks—Gardner, Johnson, Wilson, plus running back Breece Hall in the second round. A foundation. A future. They played together in only 26 of a possible 59 games before injuries and trades shattered the group. Gardner earned two first-team All-Pro selections in his first two seasons and still got shipped out. Williams was a cornerstone defensive tackle and still got shipped out. Johnson made a Pro Bowl and still got shipped out. First-round picks don’t guarantee anything when the organization around them is broken.
March 11 or Bust
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Resubmitted with alternate crop.) Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) scores a touchdown but is injured on the play as Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (23) makes contact during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7, capturing the AFC South title. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
This trade can’t officially process until the new league year opens on March 11, giving both teams roughly two weeks to finalize medical exams. The Jets now sit with over $91 million in cap space, third-most in the NFL, according to Over The Cap, and hold the No. 2 and No. 16 picks in April’s draft, plus two more selections in the second round. The edge rusher void Johnson leaves behind will almost certainly be addressed with that second overall pick. For Tennessee, the mission is simpler: keep rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the 2025 first overall pick, upright after a difficult first season.
Organizational Surrender, Dressed Up as Strategy
Jul 25, 2024; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets linebacker Jermaine Johnson (11) participates in a drill during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
The Jets aren’t trading Johnson because he’s washed. They’re trading him because they’re too broken to compete now, and an expensive edge rusher on an expiring deal doesn’t serve a team staring at a two-year rebuild. Sweat isn’t the long-term answer at nose tackle; he’s a bridge, a cheap and efficient anchor while the front office tries to turn five first-round picks across two drafts into something resembling a roster. Meanwhile, the fired coach in Nashville is building something with the players New York discarded. The irony writes itself. The Jets keep accumulating picks. The Jets keep accumulating losses. At some point, the strategy has to produce wins, or it’s just a surrender with extra steps.
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Sources
ESPN: “Sources: Jets trade Jermaine Johnson to Titans for T’Vondre Sweat” (February 26, 2026)
SI.com: “Jermaine Johnson Pens Emotional Goodbye After Jets-Titans Shocker” (February 26, 2026)
Yahoo Sports: “Jets hit new low by becoming first NFL team to end season with zero interceptions” (January 4, 2026)
CBS Sports: “Jets-Titans trade grades: New York deals Jermaine Johnson to Tennessee for T’Vondre Sweat” (February 25, 2026)
The Athletic: “Aaron Glenn talks new roles, superpowers and Woody Johnson at NFL Combine” (February 24, 2026)
