For weeks, New York Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson has heard his name in trade talks.
The more Gang Green lost, the more likely it seemed that the team would eventually move on from the 26-year-old.
That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
On Wednesday, Johnson posted a GIF on social media from “The Wolf of Wall Street” in which Leonardo DiCaprio’s character declares, “I’m not leaving.” Fans interpreted the message as Johnson signaling he intends to stay in New York.
Speaking to Jets X-Factor Thursday afternoon, Johnson made it clear that the organization also matched his desire to stay in New York.
Johnson addresses trade rumors
Johnson clarified that his social media post was prompted by a conversation he had with the Jets’ front office.
“I’m wanted here and vice versa,” he told X-Factor.
A former first-round pick out of Florida State from the 2022 draft, Johnson has recorded 11 sacks across his four seasons with the Jets.
Along the way, he has become New York’s complete edge defender from both a pass-rushing and run-stopping standpoint.
Injuries, though, have kept him from reaching his full potential.
Johnson is coming off a season lost due to an Achilles tear. He has also played in just four of the seven games that the Jets have played so far this year.
Across 174 defensive snaps this season, Johnson has totaled 10 solo tackles, 12 quarterback pressures, a sack, and a pass breakup, providing a significant impact off the edge in Steve Wilks’ defense.
Even still, though, the Jets’ pass rush hasn’t been what many expected. They currently rank 29th in the league in sacks with just 10. That number, above all else, needs to improve for Johnson.
“We’ve got to get sacks,” Johnson said. “The best in the business do it. I think if you’re kind of any competitor, then that is who you want to be.
“We’re doing a decent job setting the pressures, but you don’t want to live in that world. We’re definitely looking to affect the quarterback more in that sense.”
The numbers aren’t what they expect to be right now, but Johnson is an integral part of what the defense wants to do on Sundays.
While the Jets’ 0-7 mark isn’t anything to celebrate at the moment, the very fact that they seem focused on keeping the edge rusher for the long term is a good sign that the organization believes him to be a fundamental piece.
