In the third quarter of the New York Jets‘ 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans, defensive end Jermaine Johnson was carted off the field with what could be a severe Achilles injury.
Following the victory, Jets head coach Robert Saleh was asked if Johnson had torn his Achilles. Saleh responded, “Unfortunately, it’s looking like that,” per Jet X’s Brandyn Pokrass who was on the scene.
#JermaineJohnson @nyjets
Unfortunately, expecting season ending injury herehttps://t.co/hamPuE58cv pic.twitter.com/Tin0MgpM9t— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) September 15, 2024
Saleh later added that testing would be done on Monday to confirm the severity of the injury.
After suffering a non-contact injury following an attempted sack, Johnson’s teammates gathered around him as the 25-year-old buried his head in his hands. He put a towel over his head, then gave a thumbs-up as he was taken off the field.
Once the emotions halted, Johnson spoke with reporters after the game, seemingly in improved spirits:
"I always pray to God before every game. I tell him to use me so I can serve others. This just might be His way of me doing that."
Jermaine Johnson talks about his injury: pic.twitter.com/Zag8qn9qL2
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) September 15, 2024
With Haason Reddick’s continued absence, the Jets planned to rely heavily on Johnson as a primary contributor to the team’s pass rush.
During his sophomore season last year, Johnson took a massive leap, recording five tackles and 7.5 sacks to go along with seven passes deflected through 17 starts last season, including 11 tackles for loss. The Florida State product seemed primed for a breakout campaign this season.
Without Johnson and Reddick, fans should expect increased roles from Will McDonald, Micheal Clemons, Takk McKinley, and Braiden McGregor moving forward.
This is not the only injury that occurred during today’s victory. Veteran linebacker C.J. Mosley didn’t return to the game after being carted off the field with a toe injury on his right foot during the second quarter.
The Jets aim for another victory as they host the New England Patriots for their home opener this Thursday.