When it comes to free agent additions, the New York Jets have not had a ton of success in 2026. Some, like Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare, have dealt with injuries to start the season. Others, like Demario Davis, have struggled to keep up with the changes to the modern game.
Then there's Dane Belton.
Of all the acquisitions made by general manager Darren Mougey, Belton has been the most successful by far. Through four games, he has managed to record a Pro Football Focus grade of 78-good for 11th among 92 safeties in the league. While his pass defense grade continues to improve, it's not what the Jets have valued most from him.
It's what he's done at the line of scrimmage that has turned the tide for Gang Green's defense.
When Belton was first signed by the Jets, the measly one-year, $4 million offer was seen as a solid value pickup. Belton recorded 120 tackles last season as a member of the New York Giants, but never got a chance to be an every-down player.
With the Jets, Belton has received that chance, and he's rewarding them with the same kind of elite play against the run that he's been providing for years now. Belton ranks seventh by Pro Football Focus in run defense. He's been a sure tackler and one of the more consistent players in New York's secondary.
Against the Bears in New York's 23-12 loss, Belton tallied 14 tackles, one pass defense and only allowed 12 yards on three receptions. It's the kind of performance you see from All-Pros, not players on one-year deals.
"He can come in and he can play basically the same role that Minkah (Fitzpatrick) had of being able to play the big nickel, playing safety," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said of Belton in Week 2. "He's an impressive player. Intelligent, smart, and he can take up that slack."
ith how well Belton is playing, there's really only one outlook the Jets must consider moving forward.
Maybe the Jets aren't able to win a lot of games this season. Perhaps Glenn and the coaching staff are fired by the end of the year. One thing the team's struggles should not do, though, is stop the front office from rewarding high-performing players.
The worst thing the Jets could do is watch Belton continue to play well, and then simply move on from him and pick up a compensatory pick in the 2028 draft. Good teams retain talent. The Jets may not have a lot of players to extend at this point after a 1-3 start, but Belton is deserving of it.
And the sooner the team gets a long-term extension done, the better they will be having Belton continue to play at this level.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/jets/onsi as Jets' Best Offseason Addition Clear One Month Into the Season (and It's Time to Extend Him) .
