The New York Jets lost to the Detroit Lions in Week 3, but the more disturbing result might very well be the play of offensive lineman Olu Fashanu.
Fashanu gave up 2.5 sacks and five QB pressures against the Lions, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
In fairness, the majority of the Jets offensive line struggled according to Cimini’s NextGenStats in pass protection:
- Dylan Parham (injured): zero sacks, four pressures
- Josh Myers: one sack, four pressures
- Joe Tippmann: one sack, three pressures
- Armand Membou: zero sacks, three pressures
“Not a stellar day for the Jets’ O-Line,” Cimini posted.
After the game, Brian Costello of the New York Post caught up with Fashanu, and he asked him what went wrong in this loss:
“Right now it’s too early to say. I haven’t watched the film. I know for myself individually, it wasn’t good enough. At the end of the day, my job is to keep Geno [Smith] up and I didn’t do that today. All I can do is watch the film, look at what I did wrong and attack the next week,” Fashanu explained via Costello.
If Fashanu’s job is to keep Smith upright, he and the rest of the trenches did a horrific job. Smith was sacked five times, and the Lions’ defense finished with seven quarterback hits.
This Isn’t the First Time
Perhaps if this was the first sign of struggles for the talented offensive lineman, you could chalk it up to something else, but it isn’t.
There have been signs during Fashanu’s NFL tenure of questionable play. Before the start of the season, NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY explained why he was “concerned.”
“Olu is the one I’m concerned about if we’re being honest with each other. I have some concerns with Olu,” Hughes said on the August 10 episode of “Jets Final Drive” on SNY.
“I remember I talked to a defensive coach who was game-planning against the Jets last year right before they played them, and I talked to him on the phone a couple of days before the game, and I said, ‘What do you see? I’m not reporting; I was just curious what your take was of the Jets?’ One of the things he pointed out was Olu. He said, ‘I’m not sure what happened because his technique looks like it has taken a legitimate step back from his rookie year, and I don’t know why.’ Olu is a great kid … He is a hard worker. He is a great kid. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. [Fashanu] is going to try; effort is not an issue there.”
Those concerns from Hughes before the year seem to be valid.
“Olu Fashanu leads the NFL in sacks allowed (four), per TruMedia, though three of them came against the Lions,” Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic posted on X.
According to Pro Football Focus, Fashanu has a 72.6 overall grade, a 69.8 pass-block grade, and a 73.2 run-block grade. Those rank 20th, 36th, and 15th among 69 qualifying tackles in the NFL so far this season.
Last year showed a lot of the same struggles. According to PFF, Fashanu had a 69.2 overall grade, a 74.5 pass-block grade, and a 57.1 run-block grade. Those ranked 39th, 27th, and 65th among 89 qualifying tackles in the NFL during the 2025 season.
What Is the Truth?
Is Fashanu simply going through some early career struggles? Or is this a sign of the player he is?
The Jets need to find answers to those questions as soon as possible. Fashanu, 23, will turn 24 before the end of the 2026 season. He entered the league as the No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
After his third season is complete in 2026, the Jets will have to make a decision on his fifth-year option.
According to Over The Cap projections, that fifth-year option is going to be $22.37 million for Fashanu. That figure would make him the 9th highest-paid left tackle in the NFL, per OTC.
If the Jets accepted that team option, Fashanu would be under team control through the 2028 season. However, if they declined it, Fashanu would hit free agency after the 2027 season.
This is a huge decision that can’t be taken lightly. How Fashanu plays the rest of the year will inform the Jets on which direction they should lean next offseason.
Concerning Red Flags Emerge for Olu Fashanu After Jets Loss