The New York Jets are set to release the veteran defender Johnson, who never lived to the hype of a massive new contract.
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the New York Jets are set to release cornerback Trumaine Johnson once free agency begins.
Thus will end the New York tenure of Johnson, 30, who inked a five-year, $72.5 million deal with the team in March 2018. That deal made him the second-highest highest-paid cornerback in football (behind only Miami’s Xavien Howard), and his guaranteed $34 million was the highest amongst his position.
He never lived up to that price tag, playing just 17 games over two seasons due to injuries. Johnson was, in fact, benched during the Jets’ 2019 opener against Buffalo and struggled to get back into the starting lineup. Ankle ailments forced him to injured reserve in November. His Jets career ends with 65 tackles and five interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Johnson entered the league as a third-round pick out of Montana. He spent the first six seasons of his career with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams before joining the Jets. New York, in fact, brought in Johnson’s former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in an effort to rediscover the potential he displayed with the Rams.
Such a move would save the Jets $3 million in cap space, increasing that total to $51.8 million. However, it also comes with $12 million in dead cap, joining several other smaller deceased deals like the tally of just over $840,000 from the release of 2019 third-round linebacker Jachai Polite.
Under a new CBA, the Jets could distribute the dead cap hit over the next two seasons ($4 million in 2020, $8 million in 2021), but a failed ratification would mean the Jets absorb all $12 million this year.
The Jets are reportedly waiting for a decision to be made on the league’s new collective bargaining agreement before making the transaction official. Voting for the new CBA is open until Saturday at 11:59 p.m. ET.
With Johnson set for release, Darryl Roberts, Bless Austin, Nate Hairston, and Kyron Brown are the current cornerbacks under contract. Brian Poole, Arthur Maulet, Bennett Jackson, and Maurice Canady are also set to hit free agency.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags