Payne will be sidelined for 3-to-4 weeks due to a bone bruise, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.
Payne picked up the injury during Saturday's training camp practice. Given the injury timeline, the rookie seventh-rounder will likely miss the Jets' first two preseason games but could be available to play against the Giants on Friday, Aug. 28.
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Jets' VJ Payne: Reeled in by Jets
Rotowire
The Jets selected Payne in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 228th overall.
Payne started 42 games as a four-year defensive back at Kansas State. In his final season, Payne posted 59 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and an interception. The 22-year-old is a dependable tackler who played all around the formation in college. There's still work to do in coverage, but he's big (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) with some of the longest arms for a safety in the draft (33 and 6/8 inches), and his athleticism (4.40 40-yard dash) should make him a strong special-teams option if he can't crack the defensive rotation right away.
