One of the few unfortunate elements in the New York Jets’ 23-10 Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans was safety Minkah Fitzpatrick suffering a groin injury.

While the Jets are lucky it isn’t more severe, Fitzpatrick is still expected to miss 2-3 weeks. That is not a negligible amount of time for a player expected to play a significant role in the Jets’ defense this season.

As Fitzpatrick is sidelined, the Jets will need to rely on one player in particular to pick up the slack: Dane Belton.

Belton must step up in place of Fitzpatrick

The Jets arguably improved at safety more than any other spot on the depth chart this offseason. Fitzpatrick and Belton are both first-year Jets and profile as the team’s top two players at the spot.

Now, with Fitzpatrick out of the picture for a little bit, Belton will be relied on in an increased role. We will see quickly whether he can handle it.

The good news is that Belton has proven to be a defensive chess piece throughout his career. With the New York Giants in 2025, he spent time at strong safety (272 snaps), slot cornerback (124), free safety (278), and even some time at wide CB.

He has flashed immense upside and promise at all those spots, particularly as a turnover generator, which made the Jets’ low-risk, one-year, $4 million contract worthwhile. Entering the 2026 season, he has collected six interceptions, four forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries despite starting only 22 games over four years in the league.

During the Jets’ Week 1 matchup, Belton’s level of play was encouraging, suggesting that he could take on some added responsibility as Fitzpatrick nurses his groin injury.

On 50 snaps against the Tennessee Titans, he earned a 70.7 defensive grade at Pro Football Focus, recording three tackles and a stop in a clean performance. In coverage, he was only targeted once, which was just a six-yard reception, while he missed no tackles and committed no penalties. Also, his 50 snaps came at three different alignments, mostly at free safety (34), but also at strong safety (9) and slot corner (7).

Once Fitzpatrick was forced to leave the game, Belton was able to hold down the fort in Gang Green’s secondary, which earned postgame praise from Jets head coach Aaron Glenn.

Belton has already proven that he can be a valuable chess piece, and his numbers with the Giants suggest that he brings upside as a playmaker.

Safety is a key role in Glenn’s system, as he asks his starters to handle different jobs. Belton showed against Tennessee that an expanded assignment should not be too tall for him.

The Titans weren’t a major test through the air with Cam Ward, but that could change quickly with Jordan Love, Jared Goff, and Caleb Williams on the docket for New York the next three weeks.

He doesn’t need to be an INT machine, but over the next few weeks his goal should be simple: help the Jets to stay afloat without one of their most important defenders.

With more quiet, fundamentally sound performances just like the one he had in the opener, Belton will be able to accomplish that.