Last season was unique for New York Jets safety Andre Cisco.

After a strong college career at Syracuse, the Queens, N.Y., native was drafted in the third round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. After a short stint in Florida that saw him pick off eight passes in 47 starts, Cisco found his way home, courtesy of the Jets.

Unfortunately, his hometown reunion wasn’t originally what he expected.

A dismal on-field performance by the Jets’ defense dragged them to a 3-14 record, with defensive issues aplenty. At the locker room cleanout, it appeared Cisco was willing and excited to test the open market.

As it turns out, though, there is no place quite like home. Cisco signed a one-year deal to return to Florham Park for the 2026 season.

So what changed? What had Cisco second-guessing his decision to enter free agency for a long period of time?

Jets’ safety decision

As it turns out, Cisco’s decision was quite clear in the open market. A return to New York, where he can compete for solid playing time, made the most sense for the 25-year-old veteran.

“[I’m] extremely excited,” Cisco said earlier in the week on the team’s official website. “No place I’d rather be, so I’m happy for it.”

Cisco played in just eight games last season due to several injuries that cost him most of the 2025 season. In limited action, he recorded 41 total tackles and had a pass defended while posting a Pro Football Focus score of 61.3 — a ranking that puts him as the 64th best safety in the NFL last year.

Last season was more than just a challenge for Cisco personally, though. New York’s secondary gave up the most touchdowns in the NFL while becoming the first team in league history to not record an interception for an entire year.

That’s something the veteran is expecting to change, along with some newcomers at the safety position.

“Last year, [there was] a ton of adversity to navigate,” Cisco said. “This year, adversity is always going to come. We obviously want more wins. We will have more wins. I’m just glad to kind of bring some learning lessons from last year and fix it.”

New York brought in All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick and another quality veteran, Dane Belton, to help Cisco transform the safety position in 2026, a position that has been a thorn in the organization’s side for many years.

The New York native will need to prove his worth to stay on the roster this season, but Andre Cisco believes in what the New York Jets are building.

It’s the key reason why he has returned, even when it seemed like a long shot in January.