The injury bug has already started biting the Jets, and one of the most interesting roster questions in camp now centers on rookie safety VJ Payne.
Less than two weeks into training camp, four of New York’s eight rookies have already been injured, and Payne’s situation may be the most consequential. The seventh-round pick suffered a bone bruise in Saturday’s practice, and head coach Aaron Glenn said he is expected to miss 3-4 weeks.
That’s a tough break for any rookie, but especially for a Day 3 safety trying to carve out a spot in a crowded room. Dane Belton, Malachi Moore, Andre Cisco, and Minkah Fitzpatrick all look like roster locks, which leaves Payne fighting for whatever scraps remain. Every summer rep matters for a player in his position, and this injury wipes out a chunk of the most important audition period.
It also raises a real question: could the Jets actually move on from him before the season?
They’ve done it before. In 2023, New York cut seventh-round safety Jaylen Key on cutdown day after selecting him in April of that year.
But this situation doesn’t feel quite the same. The Jets were operating under a different regime then, and the roster was built around a very different timeline with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.
The current setup looks different, even if the end goal in 2026 is the same one every team is chasing.
There are still a couple of ways the Jets could keep Payne around without forcing a hard decision too soon. They could simply carry five safeties, even if that’s more than expected. Or, if the bone bruise lingers or worsens, they could place him on short-term injured reserve to open the season and push the call down the road until Week 4.
New York used that kind of approach last year with UDFA linebacker Ja’Markis Weston, who was on the roster bubble after a strong preseason before a groin injury changed his path.
Even with the missed time, Payne still brings traits that give him a chance. The Kansas product was graded at 73.3 overall by Pro Football Focus and allowed a 57.4 passer rating on throws into his coverage.
At 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, he also has the frame to slide into the box and work as a strong safety. And he’s the kind of hitter who can help on special teams right away.
So no, the injury doesn’t close the door on Payne. But it does make his route to the 53-man roster a lot trickier - and it turns a promising camp into a sudden roster puzzle.
In Other News...
Adonai Mitchell Is Making The Jets Look Very Smart Right Now
Adonai Mitchell is already giving the Jets a nice return on a move that was mostly framed around Sauce Gardner, because the wideout acquired from Indianapolis has quickly worked himself into likely starter territory in training camp. For a Jets offense looking for more reliable answers at receiver, Mitchells emergence has added some much-needed optimism and made the trade package look a lot more balanced than it did at the time.
The Colts, meanwhile, are dealing with injuries at receiver and a season that has already gone sideways in ways that only sharpen the regret around moving him. Josh Downs and Alec Pierce have both been banged up, and with quarterback injuries and a missed playoff picture hanging over the year, fans in Indianapolis have been left wondering what might have been if Mitchell were still part of the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Have A Real Offensive Line Battle Brewing In Camp
Training camp always turns the page on a rookie class, and for several second-year players from the 2025 draft, the real work is just beginning. Around the league, those first pro seasons now have to translate into bigger responsibilities, whether it is Elic Ayomanor pushing for a larger role in Tennessee, Bhayshul Tuten trying to force his way into more snaps in Jacksonville, or Caleb Rogers fighting to establish himself in Las Vegas.
For the Jets, the spotlight falls on Azareye'h Thomas, whose camp battle carries obvious weight for a defense looking to settle key spots in the secondary. He is lined up against a veteran newcomer with a proven ball-hawking rsum, and that kind of competition can sharpen a young corner in a hurry. The question now is whether Thomas can turn the promise of his rookie year into a job that sticks when the preseason dust settles. [Read more 🡒]