NY Jets finally announce the release of Trumaine Johnson

With the new league year officially underway, the NY Jets have finally announced the release of cornerback Trumaine Johnson.

Although it’s been coming for quite some time now, the NY Jets have officially announced the release of cornerback Trumaine Johnson following the official beginning of the new league year, which took place at 4 p.m. EST today.

According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the Jets waited until the new league year began to officially make the move because it allows them to spread the cap hit over two years. Ultimately, the Jets will save $11 million by parting ways with the 30-year-old defensive back.

Overall, Johnson’s tenure with the Jets will undoubtedly be looked at as disappointing, to say the least. He performed far below expectations after being signed to a lucrative five-year, $72.5 million contract prior to the start of the 2018 season.

Before signing with the Jets, Johnson spent six years with the Los Angeles Rams where he emerged as one of the league’s top cornerbacks. In 2015, for example, he totaled 71 tackles, seven interceptions, and 17 pass deflections.

In 2016, meanwhile, he finished with 57 tackles, one interception, and 11 pass deflections and in 2017, he tallied 65 tackles, two interceptions, and 14 pass deflections.

Given the numbers that he put up and the fact that he had performed well under Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, it was thought that he could be a good fit for the green and white, though he never saw that same level of success in New York.

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In 2018, he started only 10 games for the Jets, totaling 40 tackles, four interceptions and five pass deflections. He missed time due to injuries and to make matters worse, he was benched towards the end of the season by head coach Todd Bowles due to disciplinary reasons.

2019 saw another down year for Johnson, as he was once again benched early on in the season by head coach Adam Gase. Overall, he appeared in only seven games, finishing with 22 tackles, one interception, and two pass deflections, while once again dealing with injuries.

Overall, Trumaine Johnson’s time with the Jets will be highlighted by his inability to stay healthy, his inconsistency, and his issues with the coaching staff. He did not perform at the level the team had hoped he would and the Jets are now moving on.

Given that the Jets are also expected to let Darryl Roberts go, the team will need to add talent to the secondary on the outside.

Earlier today, however, the Jets did re-sign nickel cornerback Brian Poole to man the slot, though work still needs to be done.