Joseph Ossai, Chiefs
Getty
Former Cincinnati Bengals defender Joseph Ossai trying to make a play during an NFL game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
A big-money New York Jets free agent is primed for a breakout in 2026.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report listed the top seven players who are ready to break out on new teams this upcoming season. For the Jets, he selected pass rusher Joseph Ossai.
“Joseph Ossai didn’t log a start until his third season with the Cincinnati Bengals. In his first two campaigns, he played behind Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. After the latter retired during the 2025 offseason, Ossai took on an expanded role,” Moton explained.
“Ossai has recorded five sacks in back-to-back terms. Last season, he registered a career-high nine tackles for loss while on the field for 67 percent of the defensive snaps. Because of Hendrickson’s injuries and Shemar Stewart’s delayed career start because of a holdout, the 25-year-old started to translate more of his potential into production,” Moton wrote.
Ossai, 25, will turn 26 before the start of the 2026 season. He signed a three-year, $34.5 million contract that included $22.49 million guaranteed.
Moton projects Ossai to be a starting pass rusher opposite of Will McDonald IV in 2026.
That role “will allow him to see the field more than he did in Cincinnati,” which opens the door for a “breakout year in a full-time starting position,” Moton said.
Gang Green Had Plenty of Changes on Defense
Several key defensive linemen have exited stage left for the Jets this offseason.
They traded away Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans. Micheal Clemons walked in free agency, joining the Indianapolis Colts.
Those two players alone accounted for 1,257 snaps last season. That is plenty of opportunity that is being left on the table for someone to seize.
Candidly, the Jets stunk overall as a defense last year. One of their biggest areas of weakness was rushing the passer. The green and white had 26 sacks last year, which ranked 31st in the NFL, per ESPN.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This offseason, the Jets made significant changes. Gone is Steve Wilks, and Aaron Glenn has arrived as the new defensive play-caller.
That is coming with a schematic change from a base 4-3 to a base 3-4. An Xs and Os change alone wouldn’t be enough; clearly, the Jets had to upgrade the personnel.
Simple Game of Math and Belief
Across Ossai’s first two seasons in the league, he played in fewer than 33% of the defensive snaps.
However, over the last two seasons in the NFL, he has played an average of 59% of the defensive snaps.
In his first two seasons, he collected 4.5 sacks, 17 quarterback hits, and three tackles for loss.
Over the last two seasons, Ossai has registered 10 sacks, 27 quarterback hits, and 13 tackles for loss.
What a mystery.
The more Ossai has played, the better his stats have been. So it’s fair to project that if Ossai plays even more snaps for the Jets next season, his stats should make another jump.
The Jets are betting on the math, the age, the upside, and they’re trying to cash in on a player coming off his rookie deal at a critical position of need.
That is a good process.