There has been chatter throughout the offseason that the Tennessee Titans may consider trading nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat. Multiple reasons were provided as speculation. Sweat's work ethic has occasionally been questioned by analysts.
New head coach Robert Saleh has rarely overseen defenses that prioritize early-down run stoppers like Sweat. Both Saleh and general manager Mike Borgonzi were questioned about Sweat's fit with the Titans at the NFL Combine. What they said carried no weight.
Mere days after praising Sweat, the Titans are trading him to the New York Jets in exchange for EDGE Jermaine Johnson II, Tom Pelissero reported. EDGE was a big-time need for the Titans this offseason and Saleh previously coached Johnson in New York. This blockbuster move changes everything for Saleh's defense.
Titans send T'Vondre Sweat to Jets in blockbuster trade for Jermaine Johnson II
The Titans entered the offseason desperately needing to improve at EDGE. Johnson was drafted by Saleh's Jets in 2022. As a speedy and athletic pass rusher, he recorded 7.5 sacks during a breakout sophomore season while thriving in Saleh's scheme, one prioritizes explosiveness off the edge.
Johnson tore his Achilles in 2024 (against the Titans) and struggled to be productive in 2025. The former Florida State standout is now another campaign removed from that devastating setback. The Titans are banking on that, plus a reunion with Saleh, will get him back trending in the right direction.
Borgonzi inherited Sweat from previous GM Ran Carthon. There had been whispers that Sweat wasn't seen as a culture fit. Borgonzi viewed locker-room building very differently than Carthon did, proven by his decisions to get rid of Chido Awuzie, Kenneth Murray, and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. in relatively quick order, all players acquired by the previous regime.
Sweat now joins Brownlee in New York with the Jets. Obviously East Rutherford has become a popular destination for players Borgonzi views as excess.
Johnson is entering a contract year in 2026, the fifth-year rookie option that will pay him $13.4 million. Meanwhile Sweat was under a cost-controlled rookie contract through 2027. That indicates how strongly the Titans felt about ridding themselves of Sweat, and the desire to acquire an athletic EDGE rusher Saleh is familiar with.