In Week 8 last year in late October, Cisco sustained a torn pectoral muscle that required surgery and ended his season. He comes into his sixth season in the NFL (four with Jacksonville before signing in free agency with the Jets in 2025) ready to contribute any way he can. That was evident in the Week 1 win when he took 44 snaps (88%) on defense and an additional 13 (48%) on special teams.
“I think we have cornerstones of this organization within the players, guys that feel really strongly about this vision and carrying a vision, and you can’t help but have guys start to follow,” he said. “So, I think the locker room has been transformed, and it shows up on the field.
“And then from the staff perspective, let’s just say defense, yeah, having AG [HC Aaron Glenn] take the lead on, let’s just say playcalling. I don’t know exactly what they do with the game plan, but I know they [with DC Brian Duker] do it collaboratively, and so his passion shows up in the V rooms, and so it sets the tone. And so, it’s been a difference, definitely different from Year 1.”
Cisco, 26, grew up in Valley Stream on Long Island and played in high school at St. Anthony’s in Huntington before heading to college at Syracuse for a couple of seasons before declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft. Like Glenn and some of his teammates, Cisco said the loud and supportive fans of the Green & White who traveled to Nashville made a big impression.
The Jets will host the Green Bay Packers on White Out Day, with the players in all white, including the team’s classic white helmet. This week the challenge for the defensive backfield will be to replicate the game it had last week against a dangerous and experienced QB in Jordan Love. Last week in a loss to Minnesota, Love completed 21-of-42 passes for 387 yards with a pair of TDs and an INT and on Thursday DC Brian Duker said “we’re going to have our hands full.”