NY Jets reveal best-case scenario update on Jermaine Johnson injury

The New York Jets are banking on a healthy Jermaine Johnson to anchor their defensive line in 2025, and based on the latest update, things are trending in the right direction.

Head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters during minicamp on Tuesday that Johnson is “close” to returning from the torn Achilles he suffered last September and is expected to be ready for Week 1.

While Johnson may begin training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, all signs point to him being a full-go when the regular season begins. That's an especially important development, given the Jets' overall lack of depth behind Johnson and Will McDonald at defensive end.

And while Johnson has been rehabbing on the side this spring, his presence at minicamp, along with his recent comments about facing Aaron Rodgers in Week 1, suggests that the former first-round pick is strongly itching to get back on the field.

Latest Jermaine Johnson injury update is great news for the NY Jets

Johnson was coming off a breakout 2023 campaign in which he recorded a career-high 7.5 sacks and earned his first Pro Bowl nod. The former first-round pick looked to build upon his breakout year in 2024 before his season was abruptly cut short by an Achilles tear in Week 2.

That injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year, which proved to be the beginning of the end for a Jets defensive line that struggled mightily following a series of offseason missteps.

Still, Johnson hasn’t lost his edge. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Johnson revealed that he had been texting Rodgers, his former teammate, ahead of the team’s Week 1 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But while the two remain close off the field, Johnson made it clear he’s not looking for pleasantries come game time. “When I get between those lines, there’s no friends,” he told reporters as he delivered a cold-blooded message to the former Jets quarterback.

The Jets will need all they can get from Johnson, given how thin their edge rush room currently is. Johnson and 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald are penciled in as the starters, but the depth behind them is almost nonexistent.

The likes of Micheal Clemons, free-agent addition Rashad Weaver, fifth-round rookie Tyler Baron, and 2024 undrafted rookies Braiden McGregor and Eric Watts round out the Jets' defensive end group. If Johnson can return to form quickly, it would go a long way in stabilizing a key position on the Jets’ defense.

That’s why the Jets are breathing a little easier knowing Johnson is on track for Week 1.

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