After tendering RFA safety Tony Adams, the New York Jets made another big move at the safety position. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets have agreed with former Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco on a one-year, $10 million deal.
Cisco, who will be 25 later this month, has deep ties to the state of New York. He was born in Queens and spent his first two high school seasons at St. Anthony’s in South Huntington, N.Y. He later played his college ball at Syracuse.
A third-round pick of the Jaguars in 2021 (the first pick of the round), Cisco played in 63 games for Jacksonville over the past four seasons, starting 47 of those. He amassed 229 total tackles, 24 passes defended, eight interceptions, and three forced fumbles.
The 2024 season was a down year for Cisco in many categories. He set career-worst marks in his overall Pro Football Focus grade (58.8), missed tackles (11), touchdowns allowed (3), yards per reception allowed (19.5), and passer rating allowed (125.7). Cisco also declined to one interception after securing four in 2023 and three in 2022.
However, Cisco’s body of work remains solid. Across his first two years as a starter (2022-23), Cisco was stingy in coverage, allowing four touchdowns to seven interceptions while yielding just 493 yards over 1,141 coverage snaps (0.43 yards per cover snap). At PFF, he earned coverage grades of 68.0 in 2022 (34th of 74 safeties) and 71.5 in 2023 (22nd of 74).
Cisco is a disciplined player in regards to penalties. Over the last three seasons, he committed just four penalties. Only one of those occurred while he was in pass coverage.
While Cisco’s down year in 2024 is a concern, the Jets landed him on a contract that accounts for the risk he carries. It’s only a one-year pact, and the $10 million price tag is fair for a 25-year-old starting-caliber safety in this year’s exploding free agent market. Compare Cisco’s contract to that of cornerback Brandon Stephens. The 27-year-old corner is coming off an even more severe down year than the one Cisco had, yet Stephens landed a three-year deal with $23 million guaranteed from New York in their most puzzling move of 2025 thus far.
The Cisco contract is much smarter business by Darren Mougey. If Cisco can return to the level of play he showed in 2022-23, he will be a steal. Considering his age and lack of major injuries, Cisco has a great chance of doing just that. If Cisco flops, the cost is manageable; the Jets are only on the hook for one year, while the $10 million price tag did not cripple their ability to make moves in 2025.
Cisco (six feet, 210 pounds) is primarily known for his abilities as a center-fielder in the back end of the secondary. According to Pro Football Focus, he lined up as a deep safety on 71% of his career defensive snaps, including 70% in 2024.
