The Jets will officially release CB Trumaine Johnson Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Parting ways with Johnson has been expected since the end of the 2019 season. The Jets informed Johnson of his impending release back on March 9 but had to wait for the new CBA to be voted on.
With the new CBA ratified by the players, the Jets can designate Johnson as a June 1 cut and spread his cap hit over two years. New York does not have to absorb the entire dead cap hit of $12 million this offseason. By releasing Johnson, the Jets will save $3 million in cap space.
Johnson never lived up to the five-year, $72.5 million deal that then-general manager Mike Maccagnan signed him to in 2018. He will go down as of the worst free-agent signings in franchise history.
With Johnson set to be released, it’s only a matter of time before the Jets make decisions on Brian Winters, Darryl Roberts, Josh Bellamy, Avery Williamson and Quincy Enunwa as they attempt to find more cap space to be active in free agency. In the meantime, New York can do a lot of cap maneuvering or restructuring.
Beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday, teams can release players with a post-June 1 designation, which would allow them to spread dead money over two seasons. That will afford teams more money on the 2020 cap as they continue to work through free agency.