Ty Johnson Says Jets Released Him After Undergoing Surgery On Their Recommendation

Former New York Jets running back Ty Johnson claimed his offseason exit came after he underwent a surgery that was recommended by the team.

In a video he posted to Instagram on Friday (via Billy Riccette of Jets Wire), he said he suffered a torn pectoral and informed the Jets of the injury. A team doctor recommended he get the injury addressed, yet the Jets cut him following his procedure.

New York cited a non-football injury as the reason behind his release, which came roughly a month after he signed a one-year deal. The 25-year-old acknowledged he tore his pec while working out in the offseason away from the team.

The Jets added Johnson midway through the 2020 season. In 44 games, he ran for 145 yards and four touchdowns and caught 62 passes for 559 yards and three scores.

With Breece Hall coming off his torn ACL, the 2019 sixth-round pick figured to compete with Michael Carter for carries as the backup running back.

That New York cut Johnson raises questions over his availability for the start of the 2023 regular season. The Jets are firmly in win-now mode after acquiring Aaron Rodgers, so they may not have been willing to wait on him to heal when he isn't a focal point in the offense.

General manager Joe Douglas didn't waste time filling the void Johnson left in the backfield. New York used a fifth-round pick on Pittsburgh running back Israel Abanikanda, the No. 19 player at the position on Bleacher Report's final big board.

Abanikanda went for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground in 2022. He figures to be the third or fourth running back in the depth chart behind Hall, Carter and potentially Zonovan Knight.