The New York Jets’ signing of cornerback Brandon Stephens has come under scrutiny for its questionable value. However, their other defensive back signing is arguably their best value move of 2025 thus far. Comparing these two contracts and players side-by-side illustrates how teams should and should not play the bargain-hunting game in free agency.
New York scooped up former Jaguars safety Andre Cisco on a reasonable one-year, $10 million contract. Similar to Stephens, Cisco is a 2021 third-round pick who was on the rise in 2023 but took a step back in 2024. The Jets are betting that their coaching staff can help these players return to their previous heights.
However, Cisco’s contract is a fair cost for this type of flyer. The Jets enjoy the upside of a potential return to form without hampering their long-term cap. That is how players of this ilk should be handled. Contrarily, Stephens is on a three-year, $36 million deal with $23 million guaranteed. If he doesn’t work out, the Jets will suffer the consequences down the line.
Cisco’s $10 million salary ranks 16th among safeties, per Over The Cap. This price is in accordance with the ceiling Cisco has displayed. Stephens’ peak level of play in the NFL is also in accordance with his salary; however, unlike Stephens, who only played up to his contract in one of his four career seasons, Cisco had a two-year peak from 2022-23 that warrants the salary New York gave him. His body of work suggests that his down year in 2024 has a higher chance of being a fluke he will rebound from than Stephens.
Additionally, Stephens (27) is over two years older than Cisco (turns 25 on March 23). If either of them deserved a long-term deal, it’s Cisco.
The Jets’ lack of flashy, lucrative signings in free agency is admirable. It is a major positive that they have avoided recklessly throwing money at big-name players. This franchise has dug itself in deep holes by chasing names instead of embracing smart team-building. However, their lack of blockbuster moves does not automatically indicate that every signing they have made is an ideal fit for the economical approach they have elected to take. Cisco fits it perfectly, while Stephens is an overly risky attempt at the same route.
Without further ado, let’s dive deeper into Cisco’s profile to understand why he is such an enticing value signing for his contract.
Andre Cisco: High-upside ball-hawking free safety
Cisco is a pure free safety. He has lined up as a deep safety on 71% of his career defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus, which is a very high rate for the position.
For a player in this role, the most coveted trait is ball-hawking. Can you cover large swaths of grass to make plays on the ball?
Cisco has shown a high ceiling in this area. He was one of the NFL’s best ball hawks at the safety position from 2022-23.
From 2022-23, Cisco tied for fourth among safeties with seven interceptions. In both seasons, he had more interceptions than touchdowns allowed, posting a 2:3 TD:INT ratio in 2022 and a 2:4 ratio in 2023. Over this span, the only other safeties with 7+ interceptions and at least three fewer TDs allowed than INTs were Jessie Bates (6:10), C.J. Gardner-Johnson (4:7), Kerby Joseph (5:8), and Geno Stone (2:7).
Interceptions are a tricky stat. Sometimes, players luck into bogus interceptions that do not tell you much about their individual talent. Whether it’s off a tip by a teammate, an arm punt, or a horrendous throw to a defender standing still, many interceptions are not actually created by the player who secures them.
Cisco, though, has shown the ability to make interceptions happen. He boasts an impressive interception reel that displays his blend of instincts, closing speed, and ball skills. On most of his career picks, he read the quarterback, anticipated the throw, drove on the route, and made a strong catch.
On the strength of his ball-hawking skills, Cisco ranked as one of the league’s better safeties in coverage from 2022-23 despite occasionally allowing some big plays. Here are his coverage rankings in each season among safeties to play at least 300 coverage snaps:
- 2022 (out of 75): 87.7 passer rating allowed (30th), 68.0 PFF coverage grade (34th)
- 2023 (out of 76): 83.9 passer rating allowed (29th), 71.5 PFF coverage grade (20th)
Providing two full seasons of above-average overall coverage efficiency along with upper-echelon on-ball production, Cisco’s 2022-23 peak is easily worth a $10 million salary as an under-25 safety in an exploding free agent market.
In 2024, Cisco took a step back in coverage. He jumped to career-highs in yards allowed (370), yards per reception allowed (19.5), and touchdowns allowed (3) while only grabbing one interception. Cisco dropped to 50th out of 73 safeties in PFF’s coverage grade (56.7) and 61st in passer rating allowed (125.7).
The down year must be taken into account when evaluating Cisco. However, at just 25 years old with two of his last three seasons being up to par with his $10 million salary in 2025, Cisco has good odds of justifying the Jets’ investment.
In fact, it would have made sense for the Jets to sign Cisco to a multi-year contract at this salary. Even off a down year, it would be a reasonable investment considering his age and body of work. Perhaps Cisco pushed for the one-year deal to try and get his value back up and cash in with a multi-year deal for a much higher salary in 2026.
Still, Cisco is an excellent low-risk, high-reward pickup by Darren Mougey. This is an exemplary display of buying low on a player. New York is getting someone with great upside for the price and a relatively strong chance of fulfilling that upside.
