Joseph Ossai's injury may have finally opened the door for Jets fan favorite Nate Lynn

Suddenly, David Bailey and Darrell Jackson Jr. might not be the only first-year New York Jets defenders worth watching on Sunday afternoon. 

Those who followed the Jets throughout the preseason will remember Nate Lynn, the former FCS All-American who instantly became a fan favorite after joining the team in mid-August. We haven’t heard much from him lately, largely because he spent the first month of the season on the practice squad.

Aaron Glenn and the Jets may finally get their chance to unleash Lynn, who was signed to the 53-man roster last week. Glenn announced on Friday that veteran pass-rusher Joseph Ossai (ankle) will not play against the Patriots in Foxborough; injuries have limited Ossai, an offseason arrival from the Bengals, to nine tackles in three games.

Although the Jets haven’t confirmed whether Lynn will see significant playing time this weekend, now is nonetheless the time to familiarize yourself with the William & Mary product. 

What to know about New York Jets pass-rusher Nate Lynn after Joseph Ossai’s injury

Let’s start with the basics: Lynn went undrafted in 2024 and immediately signed with the Lions. Any hopes of contributing as a rookie ended following a preseason shoulder injury, though he stuck around and overlapped with Glenn, who was in his final year as the Lions’ defensive coordinator. That familiarity paid off when the Jets needed defensive line depth this past summer.

Lynn moved to Tennessee last year, though old friend Robert Saleh and the Titans waived the three-time All-CAA selection following April’s draft. Glenn and the Jets eventually came calling, and Lynn recorded two sacks against the Steelers in his preseason debut. Hype began mounting about him possibly surviving final cuts after a third sack in the Snoopy Bowl, though that didn’t come to fruition.

We’re still surprised that no one saw the two-game tape and felt he was worth adding to their active roster, but maybe the football overlords felt the Jets deserved something nice. Either that, or teams simply didn’t see enough to risk it. For once, we’re electing for positivity, because here’s someone who should make his NFL debut after two-plus years of waiting.

Ossai came off the bench and played roughly 47.3 percent of the defensive snaps when healthy, though Lynn’s inexperience has us skeptical he’ll have a similar workload. The good news: New England is expected to be without starting left tackle Will Campbell, and the Jets’ defense is fresh off an eight-sack performance.

Actually, maybe you should get excited. Lynn might be a 24-year-old pass-rusher who hasn’t seen in-game action since 2023, but he’s made it this far. Let’s see whether the wait was worth it, after all. 

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