Titans Land Jeremiah Johnson in First Trade of Robert Saleh Era

The Tennessee Titans first major trade of the Robert Saleh era has been completed. In a major move, the team is sending defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat to the New York Jets for defensive end Jermaine Johnson.

Jordan Schultz broke the news on February 26 as all eyes were on the NFL Combine, but now the Titans are making waves.

The #Jets have finalized a trade sending DE Jermaine Johnson to the #Titans for DT T’Vondre Sweat, sources confirm.

Johnson was a vital player for Robert Saleh in New York and is now back with him in Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/hzekY8xxWn
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 26, 2026

Robert Saleh Brings In Key Defensive Piece

Knowing Saleh was the Jets head coach from 2021-24, this trade comes as no surprise. Johnson was drafted by the team No. 26 overall in 2022 but an injury nearly derailed everything in 2024.

Johnson played just two games that year but returned in 2025 while Saleh was in San Francisco. The 27-year old racked up 43 total tackles in 14 games as his career total sits at 131. Johnson has 13 career sacks, three of which came last year. Keep in mind, Sweat only has three sacks in his first 29 games played across two seasons in Tennessee.

Adam Schefter noted, "The trade cannot be processed until the start of the new league year in March."

Jeremiah Johnson Returns to Robert Saleh

It's a bit poetic that Johnson's season-ending torn Achilles happened in 2024 against the Titans. Now, he's set to suit up for the team. Sweat, 24, seemed to have a ton left in the tank but the team wasn't getting enough production out of him.

Sweat's defensive abilities were a hot topic all season long as he played five fewer games but had a big drop in production. Sure, he had an extra sack which was great, but his 34 total tackles were nothing compared to the 51 he had in his rookie season.

Titans fans have gone through a lot recently with a pair of cuts and now trading away a young player they drafted No. 38 overall in 2024. Moving to Johnson, on the surface, seems to be a major upgrade.

This team's defense needed a big boost and as long as the former first rounder stays healthy, this team should be in good shape. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and linebacker Cedric Gray were begging for some help, and they got it in the form of one of Saleh's old defensive stars.

Johnson was extremely balanced last season with 22 solo tackles and 21 assisted. Sweat's total favored assisted as he had 18 compared to 16 solo. Obviously the two play different positions, but it's not that significant of a difference to make up for Sweat's minuscule numbers compared to what Johnson has done in his career.

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