The Tennessee Titans traded for Jermaine Johnson II in February hoping he would lift their pass rush. Eight months later, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote Wednesday that Johnson is one of the edge rushers other teams could try to pry loose before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
Fowler wrote that “it’s worth watching defensive linemen on the trade front over the next month” and listed Johnson with the Chargers’ Khalil Mack and the Jets’ Will McDonald IV as “rushers who could attract interest in the coming weeks.” The common thread, he noted, is “teams with losing records.” Tennessee qualifies after a winless start under Robert Saleh that reached 0-4 with Sunday’s 24-18 loss at Baltimore.
Why Johnson fits the deadline profile
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Johnson is 27 and playing on his fully guaranteed $13.411 million fifth-year option, which makes him a free agent in March. The Titans sent defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat to the Jets to get him and reunite him with Saleh, his coach in New York when he had 7.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl in 2023. He tore his Achilles the following season and had three sacks in 14 games for the Jets in 2025.
Fowler did not report that Tennessee is shopping him. A contender would be renting him for half a season. Tennessee would be deciding whether a draft pick now is worth more than the chance to re-sign him later.
What the numbers say about Johnson
His season has two sides. Johnson’s 76.8 run-defense grade from PFF ranks 11th among 110 qualified edge defenders, and his 67.5 overall grade ranks 44th. His 50.3 pass-rush grade ranks 104th. He has 11 pressures on 90 pass-rush snaps, according to PFF, with one sack and no quarterback hits. Only Jacob Martin (13) and Jeffery Simmons (12) have more pressures for a Titans defense that has 58 as a team.
Before the season, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport called an extension for Johnson the Titans’ “most important” contract decision, and Johnson said he wanted to “be the player I know I am.” Fowler’s note suggests the league expects that decision to come sooner. Tennessee hosts the 0-4 Houston Texans on Sunday, and another loss would make the calls harder to ignore.
