Ty Johnson is back for another year with the New York Jets
A day after sending away one of their own by trading wide receiver Elijah Moore to the Cleveland Browns, the New York Jets kept one of their own by re-signing running back Ty Johnson to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Jets continue making moves, and here’s another: they reached agreement today to bring back RB Ty Johnson on a one-year deal, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 23, 2023
Johnson, a backup running back and core special teams player, returns to New York after posting a career-low 160 rushing yards, but his yards-per-carry was actually a career-high, a more-than-respectable 5.3.
Johnson found himself buried on the Jets’ depth chart early in the year after rookie runner Breece Hall quickly took over as the team’s lead back. After Hall was lost for the season due to tearing his ACL against the Broncos in Week 7, the Jets traded for then-Jaguars tailback James Robinson, again pushing Johnson down the pecking order and limiting his opportunities.
Robinson failed to make any significant impact over the next few weeks and was benched in short order. Despite being the longest-tenured member of the Jets’ backfield, Johnson was superseded on the depth chart by one of his teammates for the third time in the same season as undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight took over as New York’s starting runner in Week 12 against Chicago and held the position for the rest of the year.
Despite his limited snaps, Johnson still found a way to make an impact as a pass protection specialist and special teamer, and will likely continue to fill those same roles in 2023. He made the most of his few chances to touch the ball, racking up 248 total yards from scrimmage on only 42 total touches, equating to an excellent 5.9 yards-per-touch.
Perhaps more importantly, Johnson could be a serviceable substitute for Hall in the event that Hall’s ACL injury limits his performance early in the year, as Johnson, like Hall, has the elite speed needed to thrive in the Jets’ outside zone rushing attack.
New York’s offseason has so far been centered around adding weapons on offense, and while bringing Johnson back isn’t the flashiest move, it’s a well-needed move that helps ensure the Jets’ offense has all the weapons their next quarterback could possibly need.
Despite less usage, I actually thought Ty played better in 22 than in 21. I don’t remember him dropping any passes. I hope this put to bed any Zeke talk.