NY Jets: What role could Ty Johnson play in 2021?

NY Jets’ running back Ty Johnson has brought a sense of speed and youth to the backfield.

When the NY Jets signed running back Ty Johnson, they didn’t exactly believe that he would have a somewhat crucial role in the backfield throughout sudden spurts of the 2020 season.

Of course, Adam Gase’s obsession with running the veteran, Frank Gore, into the ground without much efficiency has limited opportunities for Johnson to help this team towards certain victories.

Johnson will finish the year in decent fashion, eclipsing 200 rushing yards for only the second time in his short career. He will also tack on two total touchdowns, along with totaling 285 yards from scrimmage.

It has been a difficult year for any player on the Jets to see a drastic improvement in the statistical category considering how inept this offense has been since taking the field Week 1 against Buffalo.

That goes without saying, the team has found a couple of bright spots through combing out this roster to its bare bone and stripping out any talent that seemed to have been hiding within the cracks.

Adam Gase has a knack for limiting a player’s ability to succeed at the highest level. If Gase’s offense has any solid structure, it’s consistency. Except, not in the way many would imagine.

Gase’s offense has ranked last in every major statistical category leading up to the team’s final Week 17 game in New England.

Will the NY Jets keep Ty Johnson around in 2021?

In examining Johnson’s role in 2021, he may be able to stick around, depending solely on general manager Joe Douglas’ plan to improve the position through free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft.

Many expect the Jets to add a running back through either the lower-ends of free agency or the later rounds of the NFL Draft. The team could use a veteran option at the position to lighten the load on the younger running backs’ plate.

Frank Gore won’t be around next year, meaning the team will be left with a soon-to-be second-year running back in La’Mical Perine, Josh Adams, and Johnson.

They could use more at a position that has only become more versatile as the league continues to evolve.