From the starting lineup to the streets.
That is within the realm of possibilities for New York Jets safety Andre Cisco, says ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
Cimini placed Cisco on his list of players who could be “fighting for their roster spot” as we head into OTAs.
Cisco, 26, won’t turn 27 until next offseason. He re-signed with the Jets this offseason on a one-year, $2.5 million contract.
The Devil Is in the Details
According to Spotrac, Cisco only has $1.25 million of his contract guaranteed. In the NFL, that is inconsequential peanuts.
Sometimes you sign a player, and their contract tells you whether or not they’re going to make the team regardless of how good they are. In this particular case, if the Jets want to move on from Cisco at some point this offseason, his contract won’t stop them from pulling the trigger.
Last year, Cisco was one of the Jets’ prized free agent additions. He joined the team on a one-year deal for $8.5 million, and $7.5 million of that was guaranteed.
The former Syracuse product had hopes of betting on himself, playing really well in 2025, and cashing in during the 2026 offseason, whether that was with the Jets or someone else.
Safe to say things didn’t work out that way.
He started the first eight games of the season, appearing in 98% of the defensive snaps for the Jets, per Pro Football Reference.
Cisco had previously developed a reputation as a ball hawk in college and with the Jacksonville Jaguars at the beginning of his NFL career. That production didn’t follow him to New York.
Cisco finished with one pass deflection, zero interceptions, and just one tackle for loss. It was a disappointing first half of the season that was cut short after he tore his pec versus the Cincinnati Bengals. That ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Cisco became an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
A Surprise Return
Cisco re-signing this offseason was a surprise.
The 2025 season with the Jets obviously didn’t go according to plan for him or the team.
There are only a few logical explanations. Cisco loves the Jets and was comfortable taking a hometown discount. The former Syracuse product revealed that his family had season tickets to the Jets when he was younger.
Possible.
Cisco, coming off a bad year and a serious injury, didn’t have many choices, so he opted to return because what else was he going to do?
Also possible.
Things are a lot different this offseason than they were last offseason. Cisco was the man for the Jets last year and an expected starter. This offseason, Cisco has to scratch and claw for everything he gets.
The green and white have only one locked-in starter at the safety position right now, Minkah Fitzpatrick. Gang Green struck a trade with the rival Miami Dolphins to bring him in this offseason.
As part of that trade, the Jets immediately gave Fitzpatrick a brand new contract extension. We talked about this earlier. Money talks; Fitzpatrick being a starter is written in ink.
The rest of the depth chart is up in the air. The coaching staff really likes second-year pro Malachi Moore. Plus, you have Dane Belton and VJ Payne.
Cisco’s first job this summer should be trying to make the team. Once you accomplish that goal, we can talk about potentially returning to the starting lineup.
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