Jermaine Johnson Pens Emotional Goodbye After Jets-Titans Shocker

The Jets are saying goodbye to one of their top defensive players after trading him to the Titans...

Dec 14, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones (22) and New York Jets linebacker Jermaine Johnson (11) after the game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The New York Jets are being aggressive right now, but it might not be in the direction that the fans want. The Jets traded two of their best defensive players, Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, at the trade deadline last season. To kick off this offseason, the Jets made another big trade to send a key defender to a new team.

On Thursday, the Jets agreed to a trade that will send edge rusher Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat, per multiple reports.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

This deal is seemingly a huge win for the Jets. They landed a star defensive tackle who will plug the middle of the defensive line in a big way. Sweat is a much better scheme fit for the Jets than Johnson was. Sweat will work perfectly as the nose tackle in the Jets' 3-4 defense. Johnson was a bit too big to be an edge rusher in the 3-4 scheme, as he fits more as a 4-3 defensive end than anything.

Jermaine Johnson says goodbye to Jets after 4 years

New York Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnso — Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets linebacker Jermaine Johnson (11) is called for roughing the passer, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the second quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Either way, losing a player after having him on the team for four years is tough. Johnson recently took to X/Twitter to pen his goodbye to the Jets.

"New York, thank you for everything truly. The love I’ve been shown here for the past 4-5 years has been nothing short of amazing, both on and off the field. Y’all will always hold a special place in my heart. Wish all of my former coaches and former teammates the best!! Thank all of y’all for sharing a battlefield with me. 11 out," Johnson wrote in a goodbye post to X/Twitter shortly after the trade.

Johnson played four years with the Jets, starting 32 of his 47 games with the team. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2023 after a dominant campaign, but has struggled with injuries in each of the past two seasons.

Still, he tallied 13 sacks across his four years with the team and was seemingly a vocal leader on the defense. Now he joins Robert Saleh in Tennessee with the chance to resurrect his career at age 27.