Jermaine Johnson has undergone an extended restoration course of after tearing his Achilles.
The Professional Bowl linebacker was lastly activated from the bodily unable to carry out record final Sunday after 11 months of rehabbing and making an attempt to get again on the apply area.
Johnson is itching to return, however understands the Jets need to be cautious.
“I feel ready to go, but I trust them,” Johnson stated. “Like I like to say, they are backing the Ferrari off the truck a little cautiously right now. So, I understand it, but I’m ready to go.”
Final season, Johnson was trying to construct upon his stable sophomore marketing campaign when he registered 7.5 sacks and was named to the Professional Bowl as a substitute. However in Week 2, he tore his Achilles in a victory towards the Titans and missed the remainder of the season.
The toughest half for Johnson was seeing his teammates endure throughout a 5-12 marketing campaign, which noticed his coach, Robert Saleh, and basic supervisor, Joe Douglas, each fired.
“Knowing the kind of player I am, teammate I am, how much of a difference I could have made …,” Johnson stated whereas mentioning all of the shut video games Gang Inexperienced misplaced. “There’s nothing I can do about it. So, that was in all probability the toughest factor.
“I like to use this metaphor, the journey being a mountain and you’re in the car and you got a highway going to it. A lot of guys kind of focus on the mountain, ‘damn, that’s a long road. It’s gonna take forever.’ I was just looking at the stripes on the ground pass and just one stripe after another, understanding that pretty soon I was going to reach the mountain. We’ll be there soon and I’m excited for it.”
This offseason, the Jets made a number of key adjustments, together with a brand new coach in Aaron Glenn, a brand new basic supervisor in Darren Mougey, a brand new defensive coordinator in Steve Wilks and a model new defensive scheme. Some gamers fear about their future when a brand new regime is available in.
Nevertheless, Glenn expressed confidence in Johnson after he was his defensive coordinator through the 2022 Senior Bowl earlier than the Jets chosen him within the first spherical. That was one of many causes Glenn and the Jets exercised his fifth-year possibility on his rookie contract in April.
“He wasted no time when he got here letting me know how excited he is to coach me and how much he expects from me,” Johnson stated. “I used to be simply as excited to let him know that these requirements shall be met or exceeded.
“So, I’m excited.”
Earlier than Johnson was cleared for exercise, he was actively current on the Jets facility, working to return to the sphere. He has additionally taken on a management position after the Jets had a youth motion through the offseason underneath Glenn and Mougey.
“Preaching the standard, technique stuff,” Johnson stated about what being a pacesetter means to him.
“I had great vets. I had Cap C.J. [Mosley], I had John Franklin-Myers, I had guys that showed me this is how it was supposed to look, and this is my chance to kind of pay for and kind of show them. So I’m excited to get off PUP and get out there and show them, ’cause I’m a big believer. I’m leading by example, and I’ll finally get to do that.”
Now the query is, when will Johnson be able to apply? He has been on the sphere since being cleared by medical doctors, however Johnson has been doing particular person work off to the aspect whereas his teammates take part in group drills.
The Jets’ season opener towards the Steelers and former teammate Aaron Rodgers is three weeks away. There can typically be an acclimation interval when a participant returns from an Achilles tear, however Johnson doesn’t imagine in making excuses.
“In my opinion, I got a cheat code in my leg now,” he stated. “I got a strong Achilles, so I’m faster now.”
Nonetheless, Glenn and the Jets employees have a plan for Johnson that they’re conserving between themselves.
“We want to bring him in at the right time, and we don’t want to rush that player in, and we have a plan for him,” Glenn stated about Johnson. “That’s one thing between me, Zuff [Jets head athletic trainers Dave Zuffelato], Moug [Mougey], and himself that we’ll proceed to speak about.
“Listen, I told him, it’s not about Week 1, it’s not about Week 2, it’s about the longevity of his career, and we want to make sure that we do a good job and we make sure that we do that with him. I tell every player that’s coming back from an injury, we have a plan for them and we make sure we follow protocol to make sure that plan works.”
Initially Printed: August 16, 2025 at 10:15 AM EDT
