After his hiatus from professional football, Jô returned to São Caetano for the 2015 season. Weighing over 100 kg, he wasn't included in the squad that played in the 2015 Campeonato Paulista Série A2, but kept training with the first team, getting in shape to play in the 2015 Série D. On 12 July 2015, head coach Luís Carlos Martins put Jô in the starting lineup for São Caetano's first Série D match. Fourteen minutes into the match, Jô scored his first ever senior-level goal, following a Robson Fernandes assist. He would score again five minutes later, leading his team to a 5–0 home victory over Lajeadense. On 3 August, Jô opened the scoring with two goals in a 3–2 away win against Metropolitano. Two weeks later, he netted another brace against the same opponent, this time at Anacleto Campanella. He repeated the feat in the next two matches, reaching four consecutive Série D games in which he scored a brace.
