Getty Former New York Jets running back Ty Johnson during the 2022 regular season.
When the New York Jets released running back Ty Johnson ahead of the draft, it came as a huge surprise to fans. Later, in May, we found out that it was also a shock to Johnson himself.
The former NYJ ball-carrier posted an emotional clip on Instagram at the time, revealing that the Jets decided to cut him after recommending that he undergo surgery on a torn pectoral that occurred away from the team. “I’ve had some dark days,” Johnson admitted during the video.
Now, on August 21, the well-liked RB finally gets his next NFL opportunity — and it will come with one of the Jets top rivals in 2023. “Free agent running back Ty Johnson plans to sign with the [Buffalo] Bills, per source,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler announced. “Worked out for the team today and is cleared from a torn pec.”
Johnson is expected to help fill the third-down/special teams role that Nyheim Hines was manning before his season-ending injury.
Ty Johnson’s Release Didn’t Appear to Sit Well Inside the Jets Organization
The NFL is a cold business, and sometimes athletes are reminded of that in moments like Johnson’s release this spring. “Off-site injuries while working out should have some type of protection from the team,” Jets team leader D.J. Reed Jr. spoke out publicly after his teammate was cut. “Same thing happened to me in San Fran.”
Head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas have done such a tremendous job of building a new culture in New York, but that one didn’t seem to sit right inside the locker room. After all, Johnson was a popular figure, and his confessional was heartbreaking to watch.
“Obviously, went to New York,” Johnson told the camera on May 19. “Told them [about the injury]. I told them even before this, I was like — ‘hey, was working out, [the torn pectoral] happened’ — saw the team doctor, he was like — ‘you need to get it fixed.’ Flew out the next day [to get surgery]. Came back happy that I got it done, even though I didn’t want to get it done. That following Wednesday, you’re outta there.”
That last part — “you’re outta there” — was said in a way that seemingly mimicked the Jets choosing to release him.
“I was like, damn,” Johnson went on. “But at the end of the day, I know I’m going to be alright, I know God got my back. And just keep going forward, man.” Several NYJ teammates showed Johnson support in the comment section of the video.
Although his departure wasn’t pretty, fans and teammates can find solace in the fact that Johnson has recovered from his injury and found another job. He is “alright,” just as he said he would be. The only unfortunate part about this news is that he’ll be playing for an AFC East rival.
Jets Have Jam-Packed RB Room in 2023
In some ways, the early release may have been a blessing in disguise for Johnson. He landed with a Super Bowl contender in Buffalo, and although the Jets are considered a title contender too, he probably wouldn’t have made the final cut with Gang Green.
Let’s say the offseason played out the same way — Jets draft Israel Abanikanda and sign Dalvin Cook — Johnson would be in a similar position as Zonovan Knight or 2023 UDFA Travis Dye. Or in other words, he’d be one of the odd men out.
Who knows, maybe he gets cut and the Bills claim him off waivers anyway, but the chances of him making the roster over Cook, Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Abanikanda and even Knight would have been slim anyway.
Assuming he makes the team and is healthy enough to suit up, Johnson will get his first “revenge game” on Monday Night Football in Week 1. If not, he’ll have to wait until the Jets and Bills play again in Week 11.