Joseph Ossai’s possible return puts the New York Jets in an interesting spot heading into Week 3 against the Detroit Lions.
The Jets entered the regular season expecting Ossai to be a projected starting edge rusher, only to lose him to a foot injury. Two games later, though, the group has held up well without him. The edge rotation has been sturdy, several players have stepped into larger roles, and now Ossai is close enough to playing that the conversation has shifted from availability to fit.
Ossai is listed as a game-time decision. He was limited Wednesday and Thursday before taking part in Friday’s practice in full. If he does suit up, the question becomes how the Jets divide the snaps after getting solid work from the players who filled in.
Kingsley Enagbare has made the biggest case to keep a heavy role. Signed by the Jets this offseason, he has been excellent in Ossai’s place.
His six pressures are second on the team, and he is tied for the team lead with two sacks and four stops. ESPN also has him tied for fifth among defensive linemen in total pass-rush wins with 10.
The Jets also have two more explosive edge threats in David Bailey and Will McDonald. Both bring a different kind of juice than Enagbare and Ossai, who are more balanced defenders and are better known for what they do against the run off the edge.
Braiden McGregor has also earned attention as the Jets’ fourth edge rusher. It was surprising at first that he made the roster over preseason standout Nate Lynn, but he has handled his role well so far. His work has stood out enough to draw praise, and the Jets have gotten useful snaps from him.
If Ossai is active, the clearest way to get him involved looks to be on early downs, especially with the matchup in front of him. The Jets are facing Jahmyr Gibbs, one of the league’s most explosive running backs. When Gibbs gets space on the edge, he can swing a game.
Ossai’s run defense numbers help explain why he would matter in that spot. Among 53 qualified edge defenders in 2025, he has a 70.7 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranks 13th, along with a 6.4% stop rate, which ranks 22nd.
That gives the Jets a few different ways to use him. They could pair Ossai with Enagbare on early downs when run defense matters most.
Bailey and McDonald would still have chances to attack Jared Goff in passing situations. Another option is to line Ossai up with McDonald or Bailey on early downs to create a more balanced look against a Lions offense that leans on play-action.
However it shakes out, the snap distribution among Ossai, McDonald, Bailey, Enagbare, and McGregor will be worth watching. The first four look like the core group, while McGregor has emerged as a useful depth piece against the run.
At this stage of the season, teams are still sorting out how they want to rotate players at EDGE. If Ossai plays, this could be a first look at how the Jets want that unit to function when everyone is healthy.
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