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New York Jets defensive back Andre Cisco warming up ahead of an NFL game against the New York Giants.
Surprise!
The New York Jets are bringing back veteran defensive back Andre Cisco on a one-year deal with a maximum value of $5.25 million, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
The #Jets make another defensive move, as Andre Cisco agreed to terms to return to the #Jets on a 1-year deal worth up to $5.25M, source said.
Deal done by agents David Mulugheta and Andre Odom.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY said the deal is for $2.5 million “with upside to $5.25M [and] only $1.25M is guaranteed.”
“Team [is] still high on young player. Adds competition and depth at [a] good price,” Hughes added.
Sources: The #Jets bringing back Andre Cisco. Team still high on young player. Adds competition and depth at good price.
The 1 year deal is $2.5m with upside to $5.25m. Only $1.25m is guaranteed.
Jets Bring Back One of Their Own
Cisco, 25, will turn 26 before the start of the 2026 season.
He joined the Jets last year on a one-year $8.5 million deal with $7.5 million of that guaranteed.
Cisco started in eight games. During that run, he finished with one pass deflection, one fumble recovery, and 41 total tackles.
The former Syracuse product tore his pec during the Week 8 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, October 26. ESPN’s Rich Cimini confirmed that the pectoral tear would “require surgical repair.”
The Reunion Is a Big Surprise
Candidly, Cisco had a down year for the Jets. He attempted to bet on himself coming off another down year with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 by signing a one-year prove-it deal in 2025.
It didn’t pan out.
Cisco missed half the season, and the other half that he was there for wasn’t great.
“The Jets were hoping he’d bring range and ball-hawking skills to their secondary,” Cimini wrote. That never came to fruition.
The Jets became the first team in NFL history to go through an entire season without recording a single interception. Cisco was a key piece of that secondary.
A Worthwhile Gamble for the Jets
Cisco has certainly shown flashes of being a ball hawk defensive back. He registered eight interceptions and 24 pass deflections during his four seasons in Jacksonville.
At the collegiate level, Cisco developed a sterling reputation for taking the ball away on defense. Across his three seasons with the Orange, Cisco finished with 13 picks.
The Jets are betting that he can tap into some of that in 2026. They’re getting him for less money in 2026 (maximum value of $5.25 million) than they paid in 2025 (maximum value of $10 million).
The Jets Safety Room Has Already Been Massively Upgraded
Last year, the Jets had one of the worst safety rooms in the NFL. A few short months after the 2025 season, the green and white have hit the upgrade button.
The Jets struck a trade with the Miami Dolphins to acquire three-time first-team All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick. They signed veteran defensive back Dane Belton away from the New York Giants.
The coaching staff is very high on second-year DB Malachi Moore. Last year, they traded up in the fourth round to select him out of Alabama. Now you add Cisco to the mix.
All of a sudden, the Jets have a four-pack of safeties who will make the 53-man roster later this fall. This is a much-improved room over what the Jets had last year.
Plus, there is still the 2026 NFL draft that looms in the distance. The depth and star power of this safety group has been heralded by draft experts around the country.
It’ll be interesting to see how interested the Jets will be in this group, considering all of the additions they have already made at safety. However, you can never have enough safeties on your roster.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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