Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
New York Jets defensive finish Jermaine Johnson confirmed on social media Monday that his proper Achilles is torn, which means he'll miss the the rest of the season.
“This is not a dark time for me, although there will be dark days ahead,” Johnson said in his post.
Johnson's harm, suffered in Sunday's 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans, ramps up the stress on New York to resolve its contract dispute with Haason Reddick if he nonetheless desires to play for Jets.
Reddick requested a commerce from the Jets on Aug. 12. The Pro Bowl edge rusher, holding out since his arrival from the Philadelphia Eagles in the spring, has forfeited two sport checks ($792,000 apiece) and has accrued greater than $5 million in mandated fines.
Without Reddick and Johnson, who recorded 7.5 sacks final season and made the Pro Bowl as an harm substitute, the Jets are dangerously skinny on the edge of their 4-3 entrance.
Their prime ends are Will McDonald IV and Micheal Clemons, each of whom had been projected as rotational gamers. Next on the depth chart is journeyman Takkarist McKinley, a former Atlanta Falcons first-round decide attempting to resurrect his profession.
The Jets, who host the New England Patriots on Thursday night time, aren't a heavy blitzing workforce. They depend on their entrance 4 to generate stress on the quarterback. Reddick is their most achieved edge rusher, having recorded 50.5 sacks in the previous 4 seasons.
Despite the apparent want, coach Robert Saleh caught to the firm line Monday morning.
“I'll say it again: We got the guys that we have in our room, guys that we love, the guys that we've been working with and those are the guys we're going to continue to work with until everyone figures it out,”
Reddick desires a long-term extension commensurate with the highest-paid edge gamers. His present base pay is a nonguaranteed $14.25 million; he is considered searching for about $25 million per 12 months.
The Jets traded for Reddick in the offseason after shedding sack chief Bryce Huff in free company. Reddick was upbeat at his introductory information convention April 1, however issues turned bitter shortly thereafter.
General supervisor Joe Douglas has been criticized for not renegotiating Reddick's contract earlier than the commerce, particularly because it was broadly recognized that he wished a brand new deal. The Jets dealt a 2026 conditional third-round decide to the Eagles. Douglas doubled down on Reddick by buying and selling longtime defensive finish John Franklin-Myers in late April.
“Joe knows exactly what we need, and Joe knows exactly what's on all of our minds, and he's very, very good at asking questions and understanding what we're feeling and whatever angst [we have], if any, at any position,” stated Saleh, talking of the teaching workers. “But at the end of the day, there's a business part of it and that's where we coach football, and they do the business stuff.”
On Sunday, the Jets obtained a elevate from McDonald, who recorded three sacks to equal his manufacturing from his rookie 12 months. He made the largest defensive play of the sport, sacking Will Levis on a 3rd down from the Jets' 8 with 29 seconds left.
Still, Johnson's absence can be felt as a result of he is one in every of their higher run defenders. The Jets prefer to rotate eight linemen on sport day, maintaining their prime rushers contemporary for essential conditions.
The Jets additionally might be with out three different defensive starters Thursday night time — linebacker C.J. Mosley (toe), cornerback D.J. Reed (knee) and slot nook Michael Carter II (ankle).
