Tyler Johnson fits the Jets offense like a glove
When Tyler Johnson signed a free-agent deal with the New York Jets during the offseason, the former Los Angeles Rams weapon knew he would be given an opportunity to make plays.
Outside of Garrett Wilson, there isn’t a single candidate who could legitimately fill WR2 shoes—at least right now. That’s where Johnson believes he can come into play.
Starting strong
Johnson showed a glimpse of that in Sunday’s 34-32 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Johnson only caught two passes during the contest, but the pair of hauls resulted in first downs. His 15.5 yards per reception average was good for third on the team.
Knowing targets will be hard to come by in 2025, Johnson performed exactly as New York envisioned.
What Johnson does best, though, goes far beyond what he can bring in the passing game. It’s why the team chose to elevate him off the practice squad ahead of their Week 1 contest.
Simply put, Tyler Johnson fits this New York Jets roster extremely well.
Tyler Johnson was released ahead of cutdown day in August. Instead of looking for a new home, the 27-year-old quickly signed back with New York’s practice squad shortly thereafter.
Blocking willingness
The reason? He was always a strong fit for this particular offense.
The reason doesn’t boil down to his route-running abilities, but also because he could do something few receivers have liked doing throughout the league …
Run block.
“Blocking was always one of the first points of emphasis to me whenever I first got in the league,” Johnson told X-Factor after Thursday’s practice. “It adds value. You can show not only [that] you can block, but [also that you] want to block.
“It just ignited the team a lot better, too.”
Johnson helped block downfield on several big runs for the Jets in Sunday’s loss. New York ran for over 180 yards on the day, thanks to key blocking from the offensive line and the receiver room.
Fewer opportunities
That was always part of the plan for Gang Green this year. Based on the projections from Fields’ first game, the Jets are only expected to throw the ball around 374 times, according to ESPN.
With Wilson controlling most of those targets (he collected over a third of them on Sunday), it’ll be slim pickings for players like Johnson.
That’s okay with the veteran, though. His ability as a blocker and his ability to get downfield with his speed make him an important and underrated part of the offense in 2025.
“I’m very grateful to be in the position that I’m in,” Johnson said. “It’s truly a blessing, and [I’m] looking to do a lot of big things here.”
To play on the Jets offense this year, receivers need to know how to block effectively and take advantage of limited opportunities in the passing game.
After one week, that is precisely what Tyler Johnson showed in his debut with Aaron Glenn’s Gang Green, which perfectly suits this New York Jets roster.