When ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans agreed to a trade on Thursday morning for pass rusher Jermaine Johnson, the first thought was, “I wonder how hard Robert Saleh pushed for Johnson during the 2025 trade deadline.”
Sure enough, Connor Hughes, who covers the Jets, tweeted that the San Francisco 49ers offered New York a third-round pick for Johnson at the deadline. Hughes said the Jets wanted a second-round pick, which is why Johnson never ended up a Niner.
The Titans sent T’Vondre Sweat, the sixth overall pick of the second round in 2024, in the trade. San Francisco’s pick at the third round would have been at the tail end, which may have contributed to the Jets turning down the 49ers’ offer.
Johnson is under contract for the 2026 season with a cap number of $13.4 million. Looking at his production in the second half of the season might leave a lot to be desired, as he only had two sacks. However, there were nearly 30 pressures, which would have easily put the team in the back half of the year. That’s all the Niners wanted: somebody who was disruptive and could hold their own.
We will see if the 49ers remain on the prowl for a pass rusher this offseason, or if they are content with Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams returning from their season-ending injuries to go along with Bryce Huff. We do know that the team didn’t sit on their hands at the deadline and were willing to part ways with a Day 2 pick.
