KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This was not how Joseph Ossai expected his first season with the Jets to go.
The edge rusher signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Jets in March. So far, he has played only three games for the team.
Ossai will miss his fourth straight game with an ankle injury on Sunday after missing the first two games of the season with a foot injury. The Jets ruled Ossai out Saturday after he was limited in practice this week.
“Extremely [frustrating],” Ossai said this week about this season. “But I was listening to a podcast yesterday talking about the process. You know, injuries happen in football. It’s been terrible for me, but they happen. When they do happen, you have to go through the process of getting back. That’s what I’m focusing on right now, and when I get back I’ll be ready to go.”
The Jets hoped Ossai could provide a boost for their pass rush. Instead, he has barely seen the field. He has zero sacks and nine tackles this season. Ossai, 26, said he is trying not to get down as he misses games.
“I’m just focused on working through the process, one step at a time,” Ossai said. “Just attacking what I have to do daily. Look at the smaller picture, not the big picture and then just go from there.”
The Chiefs offense has been one of the best in the NFL over the past decade, and that unit now has another challenging dimension with the addition of running back Kenneth Walker III. The reigning Super Bowl MVP joined the Chiefs as a free agent this offseason, and he has rushed for more than 100 yards four times already. Walker is third in the NFL with 770 rushing yards.
The Jets defense knows it faces a tough challenge in stopping Walker.
“When you’re able to add an elite running back like Walker to an already explosive offense, it presents another dynamic that’s very challenging to go against,” Jets linebacker Demario Davis said. “For years, [Patrick] Mahomes and [Travis] Kelce have been the top tight end-quarterback tandem in the National Football League, and now they’ve added a running game on top of that.’’
The Jets are 21st in rush defense. They were better last week, allowing 95 rushing yards to the Raiders after giving up 156 and 148 in their two previous games.
In addition to ruling out Ossai on Saturday, the Jets also ruled out CB Nahshon Wright S VJ Payne, who were both listed as questionable on Friday. … The Jets elevated LB Troy Reeder and OT Brant Banks from the practice squad for Sunday’s game. … The NFL fined Raiders S Jeremy Chinn $17,911 for his hit on Jets WR Garrett Wilson at the end of last week’s game. Wilson was concussed on the play. … Jets RG Joe Tippmann was fined $12,537 for a low block.
— Additional reporting by Mark Cannizzaro
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