One of the New York Jets’ top free-agent additions in the 2026 offseason was edge rusher Joseph Ossai. The three-year, $34.5 million contract that Gang Green tied to Ossai is no small commitment.
However, since being signed in March, Ossai has had a strange ride. He began the summer on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list with a foot injury. Returning late in the preseason, Ossai played in Gang Green’s preseason finale before re-injuring his foot.
Ossai missed the Jets’ first two regular-season games before returning in Week 3. After his first two appearances, though, the edge defender has raised some red flags.
What should the expectations be for Ossai?
In two weeks with the Jets, Ossai has largely been disappointing relative to his expectations entering the season. On 85 defensive snaps (35 pass-rush reps), he hasn’t generated any pressures, while logging nine tackles (including two run stops) and two missed tackles.
At Pro Football Focus, he has earned a 51.0 overall grade, ranking 100th among 114 qualified edge rushers. He places 101st in pass-rushing (52.6) and 87th in run defense (55.3).
To be fair, the situation around Ossai has placed a lot of pressure on him immediately coming off his injury.
Kingsley Enagbare, who was also picked up in free agency, has been the Jets’ only consistent all-around edge presence, and he missed Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears due to injury. David Bailey and Will McDonald had to pick up the slack with large snap counts, and both have struggled to find consistency so far.
Ossai’s slow start has become more noticeable because of McDonald and Bailey’s inconsistency. The Jets brought him in to provide the edge room with a reliable veteran presence, particularly against the run. So far, though, he hasn’t. He may still be reacclimating after missing a fair amount of time due to injury, but the lack of production through two weeks still shouldn’t be excused.
Even if that’s the case, it’s important to establish what expectations should have been for Ossai in the first place, even before he got hurt over the summer. He has never been an incredible pass rusher.
Over five years in the NFL, his career-high is five sacks, which he hit in 2024 and 2025 with the Cincinnati Bengals. In those two years, he combined for 10 sacks and 74 pressures. So, he isn’t a complete non-starter as a pass rusher. He offers enough to complement his run-defending chops, his calling card.
In 2025, PFF gave him a 70.7 run-defense grade, which placed him 13th among 53 qualified edge rushers. Last year, the Jets’ edge group struggled mightily to stop the run, which is why they viewed Ossai as a big help there.
It’s important to understand the context of his contract. When the Jets signed Ossai in March, his $11.5 million AAV (average annual value) ranked 37th among edge rushers. So, the Jets viewed him as a mid-level starter at the position.
That idea made sense, too. Bailey and McDonald are the Jets’ primary pass-rushers, while Ossai and fellow free-agent addition Enagbare are viewed as the primary run defenders on early downs. They provide the balance in the room, though Enagbare has also pleasantly surprised as a pass rusher so far.
While it would be naive to throw away years’ worth of tape, Ossai has not been up to par as a run stopper so far, with just two stops and the same number of missed tackles. It’s a small sample size compared to last season, but it’s worth monitoring since he was the Jets’ highest-paid free-agent pickup this offseason.
He also hasn’t provided any juice as a pass rusher. Ossai has zero pressures on 35 pass-rushing snaps this season. Pass rushing has never been his bread-and-butter, but he wouldn’t get a $34.5 million contract if he couldn’t rush the passer at all. Ossai has averaged nearly 2.4 pressures per game over his past 31 outings.
Ossai will become much more concerning if we are still having this conversation in a few weeks. For now, his play is something to monitor over the next few games. Gang Green needs more production from a player with his salary.
