New York Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will be sidelined for the next two to three weeks after suffering a groin injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s 23-10 win over the Tennessee Titans, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Fitzpatrick played just six defensive snaps before going down, and after briefly attempting to warm up and return, he was downgraded from questionable to doubtful and ultimately ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The injury is a tough break for a Jets defense that made Fitzpatrick its centerpiece addition this offseason. New York acquired the five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro from the Miami Dolphins in March in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick, immediately signing him to a three-year, $40 million extension that included $20.5 million guaranteed at signing. The move reunited the 29-year-old, an Old Bridge, New Jersey native, with a franchise located roughly 25 miles from where he grew up.
A Costly Setback for a Retooled Secondary
Fitzpatrick was brought in specifically to fix a Jets secondary that ranked among the league’s worst in 2025, and his absence now tests that unit almost immediately. He will sit out Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium and is targeting a return by the end of September, which would put him back on the field as soon as Week 4. Per multiple injury trackers, the issue has been characterized as a Grade 1 inguinal groin pull — not considered season-threatening, but enough to require a multi-week ramp-up given the soft-tissue nature of the injury.
In Fitzpatrick’s absence, backup safety Andre Cisco is expected to step into the starting role alongside Dane Belton, with defensive back Malachi Moore also seeing an uptick in snaps. Cisco, who signed with New York last offseason after departing the Jacksonville Jaguars, played 44 defensive snaps in Week 1 and finished with five tackles, though he also allowed completions on all three targets thrown his way for 25 yards and a 101.4 passer rating allowed. How he performs over the next several weeks will go a long way toward determining whether the Jets need to look outside the building for reinforcements if Fitzpatrick’s absence extends beyond the initial 2-3 week window.
What It Means for the Betting Market
The injury lands at a sensitive moment for a Jets team already priced as one of the league’s longer shots. New York’s season win total sits at 5.5, tied for 30th leaguewide, with the over trading as short as -120 in some spots and the under still available near even money at other books. Losing a projected difference-maker in the back end for multiple weeks — even without a full-season absence — is the kind of news that reinforces the under-leaning market sentiment, particularly for a defense the Jets spent heavily this offseason to upgrade.
On the futures side, New York continues to carry some of the longest division and conference prices on the board, with AFC East odds ranging from roughly +1400 to +1900 and Super Bowl LXI odds stretching from +20000 to +40000 depending on the sportsbook. None of those figures have moved dramatically overnight, but a compromised secondary against a Green Bay passing attack led by Jordan Love in Week 2 adds a layer of risk for anyone eyeing the Jets on the spread or total this week. Bettors tracking player props and defensive efficiency markets will also want to watch how Cisco and Moore hold up in extended run before assuming the secondary picks up right where Fitzpatrick left off after just six snaps of action.
