The long road to recovery

Last season was supposed to be the year New York Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson proved he was worthy of being one of the best players at his position.

Like many dreams for the organization in the Aaron Rodgers era, Johnson’s goal was crushed extremely early in the season.

The former first-round pick from the 2022 draft class suffered a torn Achilles in the second game of the 2024 season. Johnson’s absence was a key reason New York’s defense took a significant step back in efficiency and several other categories.

The road back from an Achilles injury is never easy. Many athletes struggle to return to their pre-injury form. Multiple doctors have confirmed to Jets X-Factor that this kind of injury typically takes two years to recover fully.

Despite all that, Johnson is raring to go, and the Jets are ready to unleash him.

Jets ready to unleash the man

Speaking to reporters on the final day of training camp, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Johnson is expected to be ready for the start of the season and could play a strong role early on.

Even with that confidence, New York plans to take things slowly with its veteran edge rusher.

“You want players that you have to pull the reins back instead of telling them, ‘Let’s giddy up,’” Glenn said. “He’s been excited to get out there and ready to go. When you have a guy [who has] this season-ending injury, it kind of puts things into perspective of, man, just how [quickly] this game can be gone, like instantly.

“With his personality, and knowing he was out for a year, it’s a no-brainer he’s going to be ready to come back.”

Jermaine, himself, is ready

Since his injury last season, Johnson has repeatedly posted motivational quotes and comments. Now, his focus is on being ready to make an immediate impact for the 2025 Jets.

Just because he appears ready, though, doesn’t mean fans should expect a breakout campaign.

The Florida State product still has a long way to go before he can be expected to play at the pace and level some of his teammates will need to sustain this season. In many ways, the Jets will protect Johnson from himself to ensure he doesn’t reinjure himself.

That doesn’t mean Jermaine Johnson will be unavailable to kick off the season next week. The New York Jets are ready to unleash him onto opposing quarterbacks.

It may take some time to get there, but there’s reason to hope the 26-year-old can make a positive impact early on.

Reporting from the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, NJ.