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The New York Jets’ defense is about to receive a major boost as Pro Bowl edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II was activated off the physically unable to perform list Sunday following his recovery from an Achilles tear. His activation from the PUP list means Johnson has been cleared to practice.
In Week 2 of last season, Johnson went down while pursuing Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis. Johnson tore his Achilles on the play and he missed the final 15 games.
Throughout the offseason, Johnson, 26, has been working to get back to full health. First-year Jets coach Aaron Glenn has been clear that Johnson was expected to be ready by the time the regular season began, but the team wanted to look out for his long-term health and not rush him back.
“He’s going through the protocol of getting himself ready,” Glenn said via the team website. “Everyone has their own protocol — he understands and he’s working his ass off to get back, but we want to make sure we have him for the long haul.”
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Johnson was a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he a breakout in 2023 when he totaled 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. He was named to the Pro Bowl that season, and he was expected to take another step forward last fall before suffering the injury.
Even without Johnson for the vast majority of the season, the Jets still managed to finish 11th in the league with 45 sacks. Johnson’s return should only make that unit more formidable under the defensive-minded Glenn.
The Jets have two joint practices with the New York Giants on Tuesday and Wednesday before the teams play a preseason game Saturday. The Jets will open the regular season at home against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 7.