Jets face Joseph Ossai red flag before training camp even begins

The New York Jets made some minor roster transactions before the official start of training camp practices, activating veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick off the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list while placing Edge Joseph Ossai on the list in a corresponding move.

Both Patrick and Ossai are new members of the organization, having signed with the team just this past offseason. Patrick is expected to serve as a veteran mentor to the Jets' young wide receivers, while the former Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher is supposed to have a fairly large role.

It's what makes his appearance on the PUP list so concerning, as Ossai is supposed to be the base package pass rusher opposite No. 2 overall pick David Bailey, and do a lot of the dirty work in run defense.

To ease fans' concerns, though, SNY's Connor Hughes reported that "the Ossai stint shouldn’t be long... Just something minor he’s working through."

Jets Edge Joseph Ossai placed on PUP list to start training camp

Hopefully, Hughes' note rings true, and Ossai is back sooner rather than later. New York is going to need his skill set to complement their other pass-rushing specialists, particularly Will McDonald and David Bailey.

The reason why the Jets needed to go out and sign defenders such as Ossai and former Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Kingsley Enagbare was to help offset some of the deficiencies both McDonald and Bailey have defending the run.

Last season, the Jets defense gave up 139.5 rushing yards per game to their opponents, fourth-worst across the entire league.

Ossai, whose coming off one of the most productive seasons of his young career, proved to be an above-average run defender in 2025.

He earned a Pro Football Focus run-defense grade of 70.7, grading out as the 25th-best player at his position. It's a no-brainer why the Jets would want him on the field, particularly on first and second downs.

McDonald is a player Jets fans are more than familiar with and know what role he is best used in on a defense. Heading into 2026, he's likely to be utilized as a specialist and mostly look to get after opposing quarterbacks in obvious passing situations.

New York's No. 2 overall pick, Bailey, is in a similar boat. While he doesn't have the track record of McDonald, coming out of college, the Texas Tech standout was billed as an unpolished run defender.

It's what makes Ossai such an important cog of the machine that is the Jets defense in 2026, and why fans should hope his stint on the PUP is a short one.

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