New York Jets defensive end Jermaine Johnson confirmed on social media Monday that he has a torn right Achilles tendon, meaning he will miss the remainder of the season.
“This is not a dark time for me, although there will be dark days ahead,” Johnson said in his post.
Johnson's injury, suffered in Sunday's 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans, increases the pressure on New York to resolve its contract dispute with Haason Reddick if it still wants to play for the Jets.
Reddick requested a trade from the Jets on Aug. 12. The Pro Bowl defensive back, who has not participated in the draft since joining from the Philadelphia Eagles in the spring, has missed two game checks ($792,000 each) and racked up more than $5 million in mandatory fines.
Without Reddick and Johnson, who recorded 7.5 sacks last season and made the Pro Bowl as injury replacements, the Jets are dangerously thin on their 4-3 front.
Their top players are Will McDonald IV and Michael Clemons, both projected as rotation players. Next on the depth chart is veteran Takkarist McKinley, a former first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons who is trying to resurrect his career.
The Jets, who host the New England Patriots on Thursday night, aren't a team that gets down low. They rely on their front four to generate pressure on the quarterback. Reddick is their standout defender, having recorded 50.5 sacks over the past four seasons.
Despite the obvious need, coach Robert Saleh stood firm on the company's line Monday morning.
“I'll say it again: We've got the guys that we have in our room, guys that we love, the guys that we've been working with and those are the guys that we're going to continue to work with until everybody gets it figured out.”
Reddick wants a long-term extension commensurate with the highest-paid edge players. His current base salary is $14.25 million non-guaranteed; he is believed to be seeking about $25 million per year.
The Jets acquired Reddick in the offseason after losing sack leader Bryce Huff in free agency. Reddick was upbeat at his introductory news conference on April 1, but things went south soon after.
General manager Joe Douglas has been criticized for not renegotiating Reddick’s contract before the trade, especially since it was widely known that he wanted a new deal. The Jets gave the Eagles a conditional third-round pick in the 2026 draft. Douglas doubled down on Reddick by trading veteran defensive end John Franklin-Myers in late April.
“Joe knows exactly what we need, and he knows exactly what's on everyone's mind, and he's very, very good at asking questions and understanding what we're feeling and any distress. [we have]”If there is one, in any position,” Saleh said, speaking of the coaching staff. “But at the end of the day, there is a business side and that is where we coach football and they take care of the business stuff.”
On Sunday, the Jets got a boost from McDonald, who recorded three sacks to match his rookie year production. He made the biggest defensive play of the game, sacking Will Levis on third down from the Jets 8-yard line with 29 seconds remaining.
Johnson's absence will be felt, though, because he's one of their best run defenders. The Jets like to rotate eight linemen on game day, keeping their top backs fresh for critical situations.
The Jets could also be without three other defensive starters Thursday night: linebacker CJ Mosley (toe), cornerback DJ Reed (knee) and cornerback Michael Carter II (ankle).
