Jets Shouldn't Hesitate to Throw VJ Payne Into the Fire If He Debuts vs. Bills

After staying put at the trade deadline and deciding not to make any significant moves, the Jets turn their attention to a Week 10 home tilt against the Bills on Sunday as the second half of the NFL season gets underway.

Aside from the lack of adjustments and execution problems that continue to plague this coaching staff, injuries have been a recurring issue all season for Gang Green. That said, head coach Aaron Glenn provided an encouraging update on Friday that suggests this could be a much healthier team than it has been in a while.

"When it comes to injuries, the only person that'll be out will be Trevin Wallace," Glenn said (h/t Jets). "Everybody else will be full: Jarvis Brownlee (Jr.), Harrison Phillips, Omar Cooper (Jr.), Joseph Ossai, Nahshon (Wright) and Garrett (Wilson). Garrett still has one more step to go through before he's cleared, and I see that happening. And then VJ Payne is still going through his process, so we'll see how that operates."

Coach Glenn provides an injury update ahead of #BUFvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/S3BPO6JHmo
— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 13, 2026

That is a much better injury report than the Jets have had in recent weeks, and with back-to-back full practices under his belt, everything is pointing to rookie safety VJ Payne potentially making his NFL debut on Sunday after spending the start of the season on injured reserve due to a bone bruise in his knee.

His 21-day practice window has since been opened, and a potential return certainly appears to be on the horizon following the departure of former Jets safety Andre Cisco to the Lions.

It's time for the Jets to put VJ Payne to the test

Even though Payne was the last player selected in Gang Green's draft class after going 228th overall in the seventh round, the Jets should not hesitate to get him on the field as often as possible, even though he has not played yet.

After all, he has the speed, versatility and overall intangibles to be a solid contributor when that time comes and is more than deserving of getting an opportunity to show what he has, especially with the lack of depth that now exists on this roster.

To their credit, offseason acquisitions Dane Belton (76) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (53) rank second and fourth, respectively, in total tackles on the team this season and Fitzpatrick has the lone interception.

At the same time, the secondary has struggled with blown coverages and hasn't been the Jets' best unit. Combine that with the fact that Malachi Moore is the only depth piece they have behind them, and it becomes clear how much Payne's outlook could improve if he can have a strong showing when the opportunity comes his way.

The Jets have designated rookie safety VJ Payne to return from IR. Could help on kick coverage. pic.twitter.com/bnC5TMQeV4
— Dan Leberfeld (@jetswhispers) November 5, 2026

While Glenn has doubled down on the process despite his 5-21 record in Gotham and an 0-8 divisional record against AFC East opponents, this season is lost at this point and it is not like they have much to worry about by putting an unproven rookie in Payne out there.

Bills offense would represent a good test for VJ Payne

Not only will more snaps be available following the Cisco trade, but any snaps Payne potentially receives against an elite Bills offense could be a valuable learning experience.

While the Buffalo defense allows the fourth-most pass yards per game (238.8 ypg) and should give this offense some opportunities to exploit down the field, the Bills have the highest-scoring offense (32 ppg) and will present a stiff test for a struggling defense.

It is easy to point to the David Bailey vs. Arvell Reese debate after the Jets took the former with the No. 2 pick in the draft ahead of the latter (fifth overall to the Giants), but there is no reason to discredit and overlook Payne, either. By no means should he be compared to Bailey or have the immediate expectation of coming in and stealing the spotlight, but the lack of depth and lost season the Jets are experiencing should force their hand to put him out there and let him show what he has.

Regardless of Payne's status, it is hard to truly know what to expect from him as someone who has been sidelined all season. At this point, what do the Jets have to lose by throwing him into the fire and letting him get the full NFL experience against an explosive offense that can test him and find out what he is made of for the rest of this season and beyond?

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