Payne (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's Week 9 clash against Kansas City.
Payne has been on IR all season but was designated to return Wednesday. Despite being a full participant in practice all week, he isn't quite ready for game action. Payne's next chance to suit up is Sunday, Nov. 15, against Buffalo.
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Jets' VJ Payne: Back at practice
Rotowire
Payne (knee) was designated to return from injured reserve by the Jets on Wednesday, Amana Vogt of the team's official website reports.
Payne has been sidelined since early August while recovering from a bone bruise, and he was able to return to practice Wednesday, logging a full practice. The Jets opened the safety's 21-day practice window, and it may not be long before the rookie is able to make his NFL regular-season debut.
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Jets' VJ Payne: Moved to IR
Rotowire
The Jets placed Payne (undisclosed) on injured reserve Sunday with a designation to return, Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports.
Payne suffered an unknown issue in early August that was set to sideline him for three to four weeks. The free safety's timeline appears to have been extended, and Payne will need to miss the first four games of the season at least before he is eligible to return to the Jets' active roster from IR.
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Jets' VJ Payne: Sidelined 3-to-4 weeks
Rotowire
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.
