Getting off to a hot start will be essential for the 2026 New York Jets.
Coming off a year in which the organization won three games with little tangible evidence to believe Aaron Glenn could turn the ship around, winning games early is the best cure for all of the Jets’ problems.
Speaking to reporters following Tuesday’s training camp practice, edge rusher Joseph Ossai further emphasized the Jets’ goal of doing just that.
“I just want to pop out Week 1, and people see what we’re about,” said Ossai.
Ossai, 26, signed with the Jets on a three-year, $36 million contract this offseason. He began the summer on the team’s PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list before being activated last week and returning to the practice field on Monday.
He will play a crucial role in the team’s new-look edge rotation, where his consistent pass-rush production and above-average run-stopping ability will be necessary.
While the 26-year-old is entering his first season with the team, he clearly understands the importance of getting wins early.
Following a 2025 season in which New York posted the worst December point differential in NFL history, the team has to give its fanbase, which hasn’t seen a playoff appearance in 15 years, some reason to believe.
It starts in Week 1 against former Jets head coach Robert Saleh and the Tennessee Titans. Beyond that, if the team can steal one of their next three games against the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions, they will be in a good spot entering a seemingly weak stretch of their schedule starting in Week 5.
The Jets and company know that a sluggish start this season would be even more detrimental than in prior seasons. Proving that 2026 is different begins in Week 1 for New York.
