Jermaine Johnson revealed in a social media post Monday that an MRI has confirmed the New York Jets pass rusher has suffered a torn Achilles. The 25-year-old went down in the third quarter while pressuring quarterback Will Levis during New York's Week 2 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.
It appeared to be a non-contact injury, and Johnson was carted off the field while swiftly being ruled out not long after that. Head coach Robert Saleh said postgame the team feared it was an Achilles injury for Johnson, and those fears have since been realized. This, in all likelihood, ends Johnson's 2024 season.
"It's official, man," Johnson said in a social media post. "The MRI just came back positive. Well, negative information but positive results. I did tear my Achilles, but we good, man. We're in great spirits. We're going to get back right. This is just another opportunity to brag about what I came from. Let's get it."
Johnson did speak to reporters after the game (a rarity when a player is injured) and said, "I thought somebody stepped on me. Then I looked at the replay, and nobody stepped on it, and I was like, 'Damn.'"
The Jets are no strangers to Achilles injuries as quarterback Aaron Rodgers notably went down with the same ailment just four snaps into his 2023 season. The 40-year-old admitted that his "heart kind of dropped a little bit" when he saw on the Jumbotron that it was an Achilles injury.
"The good news is he's a very young player," Rodgers said, via ESPN. "He'll have a long career. There's a lot of great people out there to take care of him."
Johnson was drafted by the Jets with the No. 26 overall pick during the 2022 NFL Draft out of Florida State. He's proven to be among the top pass rushers in the league, posting 7.5 sacks during a Pro Bowl season in 2023.
From here, it will be curious to see how this injury impacts New York's current contract standoff with fellow pass rusher Haason Reddick. He was acquired by the Jets this offseason in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles but has yet to report due to his desire for a new contract.