Minkah Fitzpatrick is seeing plenty to like in Dane Belton, and the veteran safety isn’t shy about saying it.
As the Jets head into Sunday’s matchup with the AFC North-leading Cleveland Browns, Belton has become one of the few encouraging developments on a roster dealing with injuries, a three-game skid, and the possibility of ugly weather. While questions keep growing around Aaron Glenn’s job security, Belton has been one of the team’s steadier pieces since arriving on an offseason deal after spending his first four years with the Giants.
Through the first month of the season, the 25-year-old has piled up 30 tackles and broken up two passes. He’s been on the field for every one of the Jets’ 267 defensive snaps and has also chipped in on special teams.
“There’s not a lot that he hasn’t seen, so he’s not really ever on his heels,” Fitzpatrick said. “He has a very aggressive demeanor when it comes to tackling, and he has a nose for the football as well.”
For the Jets, that kind of production is exactly what you want from a one-year pickup. Belton signed for only $2 million guaranteed this spring, and he’s already put himself in position to talk about a multi-year extension. The Jet Press’ Charlie Baduini floated a three-year deal worth nearly $25 million, a figure that lines up with what the Houston Texans gave Reed Blankenship earlier this year.
Still, the timing makes the whole thing feel a little hollow. Whatever preseason hope existed around the Jets has mostly evaporated, and the conversation has already shifted back to whether Woody Johnson will move on from Glenn before the season ends.
There’s no shortage of frustration around the idea that this is all just a “work in progress,” and Belton’s rise is landing in the middle of that skepticism. The possibility of a Fitzpatrick-Belton tandem is interesting, but the bigger question is whether it would matter at all if the Jets keep sliding. Based on what has happened over the last three weeks, the 2026 version of this team looks headed for another double-digit-loss season.
Sunday still gives Belton another chance to add to his value, even if a midseason extension doesn’t sound likely. Players in his spot often take the one-year route, play well, and then test the market for a bigger guaranteed payday.
The Jets do have a habit of paying their top players, though, so Belton could end up staying put. If that happens, he’ll know exactly what it means to sign long term with one of the league’s most dysfunctional franchises. But as always, guaranteed money tends to settle the argument.
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