INDIANAPOLIS – Two days after Robert Saleh offered the obligatory compliments of T’Vondre Sweat, the Titans have shipped him to the Jets in exchange for Jermaine Johnson, per multiple reports.
The Titans move on from a 2024 second-round nose tackle who has a questionable work ethic and doesn’t fit their new scheme. They acquired an end who was unhappy in New York but had strong relationships with both Saleh and Aaron Whitecotten heading into a contract year.
I think it’s a surprisingly good return.
I said this on Feb. 21:
Sweat had times when he was a terrific run stopper. But for the 38th pick in the draft, he did not penetrate enough. He was supposed to create a real force inside with Jefferey Simmons.
Instead, he’s the third member of the 2024 class to be gone, joining fifth-rounder Jarvis Brownlee, who worked his way into the starting lineup but was traded early in his second season, and sixth-rounder Jha’Quan Jackson, who couldn’t handle returner duties.
Remaining are first-round right tackle JC Latham, fourth-round inside backer Cedric Gray, and two seventh-rounders with some traits – ILB James Williams and rusher Jaylin Harrell.
It’s still got the potential to be a solid class.
Sweat never showed the extended dedication the Titans needed to keep his weight down and stay fit, frustrating Simmons at one point when he didn’t follow through on a pledge to join him for offseason work in Dallas.
This trade probably means the Jets, picking second, will draft an end/edge at No. 2 if they weren’t going to do so already. So the Titans may have helped ensure one of their top options – Arvell Reese, David Bailey or Rueben Bain -- comes off the board before they select at No. 4.
Johnson has 13 sacks in four years with Jets, where he was drafted 26th overall out of Florida State in Saleh’s second year as coach of the Jets. He’s 6-5, 254. He suffered a torn Achilles in 2024 and was not viewed as playing well in 2025 when the Jets struggled under new coach Aaron Glenn.
Tuesday Saleh said this about Sweat: "We had a guy in, I want to say, I think it was '23, maybe '22, Al Woods, who is just as big, just as fast, just as fleet of foot. Obviously, it's going to be different. We're going to ask things of (Sweat) that are different than what he's done in the past, but one thing he has shown on tape is he can get numbers-to-numbers, which we need our D-line to be able to do.
"They need to be able to run, and that is something that he can do. He's a big man. He's got much faster feet than people realize. Is it going to be easy for him? It's not. It is a lot of work. It is physically demanding to play D-line in our system. But I do think he's up to the task. I've had great conversations with him and I'm excited to see him get to work."