As the Week 1 clash against former head coach Robert Saleh and the Titans inches closer, the anticipation continues to build ahead of another season for the Jets. While the unknowns remain until toe meets leather and the game actually kicks off, the expectations are higher than in recent years with a new-look team of talented rookies, veteran offseason acquisitions and a new offensive scheme.
However, with those expectations comes the reality that the Jets only went 3-14 in Aaron Glenn's first season on the sidelines and put together another forgettable season in Gotham. One area that didn't help them last season was a defensive front that recorded the second-fewest sacks (26) in the entire league, and former Bengal Joseph Ossai was brought in on a three-year, $13 million deal to help fix those issues.
That said, Glenn revealed on Tuesday that Ossai "is still week to week" heading into the opener, per The Athletic 's Zack Rosenblatt. That comes after the 2021 third-round pick missed the majority of practices due to an undisclosed injury and, most recently, suffered a ruptured plantar fascia in his foot after he returned to the field.
With the concerns surrounding Ossai's injury, which clearly puts his availability in question to begin the season, it is difficult to ignore the massive opportunity this could create for Braiden McGregor .
The Jets surprised many when they kept him on the initial 53-man roster, as the third-year undrafted free agent from 2024 was a clear chopping-block candidate , but this will give him a chance to take advantage of increased snaps and prove that he belongs with more early-down opportunities.
McGregor has only 21 total tackles and one sack in 19 NFL games and is coming off a lackluster preseason in which he only amassed two pressures and two total tackles in 58 defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus . As someone who has struggled against the run and has been unreliable at generating pressure, it is not hard to see why McGregor has been on thin ice .
Not only is he competing for playing time on a stacked defensive line unit full of playmakers and young talent, but it is not just the players on the 53-man roster he is going up against, either. Preseason darling Nate Lynn surprisingly found himself on the practice squad despite recording three sacks in the preseason, but he could certainly benefit from Ossai's injury after outplaying McGregor in limited action.
While Ossai remains positive amid the injury setbacks he continues to face, he has had five sacks in each of the last two seasons with the Bengals and is coming off a career-best 21 run stops last season. The arrival of rookie David Bailey and a talented group around him overall have pushed him down the depth chart, but the fact that Ossai is a big question mark entering Week 1 could be a blow up front.
The Jets' spotlight could be on Braiden McGregor for as long as Joseph Ossai remains sidelined. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Enter McGregor, who has a high motor and a solid initial burst off the line that could prove valuable against second-year Titans QB Cam Ward , who faced a lot of pressure last season and struggled with turnovers at times. McGregor put himself in a position where the Jets could have been forced to cut him , but that ultimately did not happen, and he now finds himself with a golden opportunity in Week 1.
While McGregor still has some work to do to earn starting reps and solidify his roster spot going forward, this at least gives him a shot at additional backup snaps and an increased role that likely would not have presented itself if Ossai were healthy.
Whether he takes advantage of the opportunity remains to be seen, but McGregor certainly stands out as someone who can benefit the most from Ossai's injury, as his future in Gang Green potentially hangs in the balance.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/jets/onsi as Joseph Ossai Will Likely Miss Week 1 (And Here's One Jet Who'll Benefit From His Absence) .
