It’s safe to say that Aaron Glenn was stoked about Jermaine Johnson and Quinnen Williams returning to New York Jets practice on Tuesday.
The Jets coach couldn’t contain his enthusiasm when asked what it’s like to have the two studs back on the defensive line.
“All I can say is, ‘Woah!'” Glenn exclaimed excitedly, with his eyes wide, eyebrows arched, and a grin creeping across his face. “Eleven [Johnson] is out there, and he’s rushing the passer, and he runs right by me, and it’s like just wind, ‘Woosh!’ goes right by me. And then you see 95 [Williams]. It felt good. I’ll just say that. It felt really good.”
It was Johnson’s first contact since he sustained a ruptured Achilles in Week 2 last season against the Tennessee Titans. The 26-year-old was activated off the PUP list last week but didn’t take part in team drills until Tuesday. He was flying off the edge against the Jets offense, and would’ve likely had two sacks if the quarterback was allowed to be hit.
Johnson was one of three first-round picks by the Jets in the 2022 NFL Draft, behind corner Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson. He broke out in 2023 after a quiet rookie season. Johnson started all 17 games, recorded 7.5 sacks and 55 tackles, and had a 37-yard pick six. He was selected to the Pro Bowl at the end of that season.
A powerful athlete, Johnson will complement 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald IV in an explosive 1-2 punch coming off the edge this season. McDonald had his own breakout season a year ago, when he took on a bigger role in Johnson’s absence and led the Jets with 10.5 sacks.
Glenn, in his first season as Jets coach, is amped about seeing Johnson and McDonald finally on the field together.
“Will has a fastball that’s elite in this league. Jermaine is a bigger body that’s a true power player, but he does have speed also, & when you have that dynamic, you can have one guy from one side rush with power, & when he’s running right through the tackle, now the quarterback has to have an escape lane, you have a guy that has speed that can come from the backside & make a play,” Glenn explained. “You see that from a lot of teams that have that dynamic. You have one guy with power & the other guy with speed, that makes a hell of a rush.”
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Quinnen Williams also returns, Sauce Gardner avoids injury scare for Jets
Williams returned after missing the first two preseason games with a calf injury. The three-time Pro Bowl lineman, who was First Team All-Pro at DT in 2022, helps complete a dynamic three-fourths on the defensive front with Johnson and McDonald. Williams has 39 sacks in six NFL seasons, including six last year and a career-high 12 in 2022.
It was exciting to see those three all play together for the first time in more than a year, but don’t expect to see that happen when the Jets host the Philadelphia Eagles in their preseason finale Friday at MetLife Stadium. Though Glenn was coy about who’s in and who’s out of the lineup against the Eagles, he did say, “Some starters won’t play in this game. I won’t get into the who’s or whatnot but a good amount of starters won’t play.”
It’s difficult to imagine Johnson or Williams suiting up coming off injury and just weeks away from the regular season opener Sept. 7 against the Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’d make no sense for the Jets to take such a risk with such important players.
Speaking of important players and injury, Gardner also returned to practice Tuesday. He missed the 31-12 preseason loss to the New York Giants on Saturday because of a calf issue. But he was a full participant Tuesday, though there was a mild scare.
Gardner was limping after a pass in the end zone and it appeared that perhaps he reaggravated the calf injury. But Glenn quelled those fears.
“I think he just got kicked in the leg. I think he’s fine.”
That helped put a bow on a happy day for the Jets head coach.
