With the trade deadline approaching and the New York Jets sitting at 0-6, speculation is beginning to swirl around Florham Park. Who could be on the move?
According to NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic, star defensive end Jermaine Johnson is among the Jets players who have drawn interest from multiple teams as a potential trade target.
Trading Jermaine Johnson would be the regime’s worst move yet
Six games into their first season, Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey have made several questionable decisions.
Dealing Johnson ahead of the trade deadline would be the regime’s worst decision yet.
The Florida State product has been hindered by injury this year, limiting him to appearing in just three of the team’s six games. However, his presence is felt significantly when he is out there and missed dearly when he isn’t.
On 120 defensive snaps this year, Johnson has logged 12 total tackles, nine total pressures, one sack, and one pass deflection. The Jets’ defense has performed significantly better in both phases with him on the field.
The loss of Johnson has left the Jets dangerously thin at defensive end, exposing the lack of reliable depth behind him. Throughout his absence, New York’s rotational edge rushers—Micheal Clemons, Tyler Baron, and Braiden McGregor—have failed to make an impact. They are exploitable against the run and make almost no impact as pass rushers.
If the Jets were to trade Jermaine Johnson, it would directly contradict the message head coach Aaron Glenn has emphasized since his arrival.
“Every decision that me and Mougey make is to win, and win now,” Glenn said in February.
Throughout the offseason, Glenn made it clear that every organizational decision would be centered on one goal—winning now. Parting ways with one of the team’s few young defensive cornerstones would signal the opposite, suggesting the Jets are no longer committed to competing this season.
Should Johnson be moved, the Jets would be forced to elevate one of Clemons, Baron, or McGregor into a starting role for the remainder of the year. That possibility shows how contradictory such a trade would be for Gang Green.
Johnson has established himself as a leader and a difference-maker on defense, providing a steady impact when healthy.
Unlike veteran linebacker Quincy Williams, Johnson isn’t in a contract year. The Jets already exercised his fifth-year option for 2026, meaning there’s no immediate pressure to decide on his future.
Trading away one of the team’s best young players would undermine Glenn’s messaging.
