The New York Jets have been getting battered early, but Wednesday brought at least one welcome development: Joseph Ossai is back on the practice field.
Head coach Aaron Glenn said Ossai will be limited as he ramps back up after missing the first two games of the season.
"Joe Ossai, he'll be limited; he'll be practicing. I can see that progressing throughout the week."
That’s a meaningful step for a team already dealing with a growing injury list. David Onyemata, Arian Smith, and Marcelino McCrary-Ball are all headed to injured reserve with varying levels of serious injuries, while Mason Taylor is week-to-week with a thumb injury. The Jets, who came into the year looking deep and promising, are suddenly looking a lot thinner.
Ossai’s return would give New York another boost off the edge, where the group has already been productive without him. David Bailey has two sacks through his first two games as a pro, and Kingsley Enagbare has stepped up in Ossai’s absence to sit top-10 in pass-rush wins to begin the 2026 season.
Still, Ossai matters. The former Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher was the Jets’ biggest free-agent splash in March, landing a three-year, $34.5 million deal that stood as the largest total contract New York handed out that month. He was projected to start opposite No. 2 overall pick David Bailey on opening day before injuries got in the way.
Ossai opened the summer on the Physically Unable to Perform list, then made it back in time for the preseason finale. A foot injury in that game against the New York Giants kept him out for the first two weeks.
Whether he suits up in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions is still up in the air. Being limited on Wednesday does not guarantee he’ll be active, and the Jets could choose to be cautious and hold him out another week, just as they did with D'Angelo Ponds in Week 2.
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