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Contenders Linked to Edge Rusher Jermaine Johnson as Titans Weigh Selling Before Free Agency
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- Contenders Linked to Edge Rusher Jermaine Johnson as Titans Weigh Selling Before Free Agency
Jermaine Johnson II came to Nashville to reunite with Robert Saleh and take his career back. Five games and five losses later, the Tennessee Titans' edge rusher is showing up on lists of players contenders could be calling about before the Nov. 10 deadline.
The latest comes from Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport, who named Johnson among the Titans' sell candidates in his projection of fire sales across the league's worst teams , noting that Johnson is set for free agency in the spring. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler also listed him earlier this month among rushers who could draw interest in the coming weeks.
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What Jermaine Johnson offers a contender
Aug 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive end Jermaine Johnson II (11) sneaks a peek into the backfield against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Johnson has been a different player against the run than as a pass rusher. PFF grades Johnson 12th of 106 edge defenders against the run at 77.4, but his 51.1 pass-rush grade ranks 99th. He has one sack, 14 tackles and 11 pressures, all but one of them hurries, through five starts. The Titans have 10 sacks as a team, and Jacob Martin leads them with 2.5.
The pass-rush numbers are the bigger question because of where he's been. Johnson made the Pro Bowl in 2023 with 7.5 sacks for Saleh's Jets, then tore his Achilles in Nashville two games into 2024. He had three sacks in 2025 before the Jets traded him to Tennessee for T'Vondre Sweat in February.
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"I got hurt here two years ago, and while it didn't derail my career by any stretch, it was definitely a big hurdle," Johnson told the team's website in March . "It's a blessing to come back here, and to take my career back into my hands and take myself where I want to go."
That's why a sale is complicated. Johnson is playing on his fully guaranteed $13.4 million fifth-year option, and a contender would take on only the prorated part. Tennessee has no financial reason to dump him, either, with $29.7 million in cap space, per Over the Cap . The 0-5 Titans have to decide whether a 27-year-old Saleh trusts is part of the rebuild around Cam Ward or a chance to add a pick before he reaches the market in March.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
