Things are different for the Jets this year. An infusion of talent and a strong draft class have fans and the organization believing they could be much better than the year before.

One of the newcomers brought in to change life for the Jets is edge rusher Joseph Ossai. The former Bengals defender signed a rich three-year contract worth over $13 million per year. The salary isn't among the highest-paid defenders, but that doesn't change expectations that Ossai will play a significant role on the defense in 2026.

That was until the injury. Ossai had been out for the majority of practices due to an undisclosed injury suffered before training camp. Then, after returning to the field, he suffered a ruptured plantar fascia in his foot, which has raised doubts about whether he'd be ready for Week 1.

"You'd rather have (a rupture) than a partial tear because it takes a lot of the stress out of the foot," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said last week.

Can the Jets rely on Ossai? Or will injuries continue to haunt his start to the team?

All will be revealed this week... sort of.

Analyzing the Jets' expectations for Joseph Ossai in 2026

Despite the rash of injuries suffered over the last month, Ossai has stayed quite positive regarding his outlook and the Jets overall. His focus has been on making sure he's dependable whenever he actually hits the field.

"I've got to focus on the 1 percent," Ossai said. "I think, going through this and being where I am, I can't put three weeks of work just in one day underneath my belt and be where I want to be, even though I want to be like that."

In his last two seasons with the Bengals, Ossai recorded five sacks in each year and even amassed a career-high 43 pressures last season, per Pro Football Focus. It's a small sample size, but PFF also lists him as having one QB hit despite only playing four pass-rushing downs in the preseason.

Additionally, Ossai has also been a consistent run defender, something the Jets have sorely needed. His number of run stops has increased in back-to-back seasons, going from five in 2023 to 16 in 2024 to a personal-best 21 last year.

With the arrival of second-overall rookie David Bailey and a collection of new faces along the interior of the defensive line, New York will not need Ossai to be an every-down player with his new foot injury. They can gradually work him back in a way where, even if he misses Week 1, he can still be an important rotational piece along the line.

As is always the case in the grueling months of an NFL season, it's not about missing a player for the first week or two of action—it's about making sure that player is healthy enough to be able to make an impact later in the year.

In the case of Ossai, the Jets don't want to be out of true competition early in the year. But getting Ossai back on the field fully healthy will be something that helps them stay competitive deep into 2026.

Get Jets On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.