To begin the 2025 season, Andre Cisco was one of the New York Jets’ starting safeties.
A year later, some believe he won’t even make the team’s 53-man roster.
Is Cisco truly on the chopping block?
Will the NY Jets really cut Cisco?
In eight games with the Jets before suffering a season-ending pectoral injury, Cisco struggled. He posted a mediocre 54.5 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, alongside 41 tackles (26 solo, 1.0 for loss), a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery.
Most glaringly, he missed nine tackles, contributing to a 18.4% missed tackle rate, which was the 10th-highest among 83 qualified safeties (minimum 400 snaps).
To much surprise, the team re-signed Cisco on a one-year deal worth just over $5 million in March.
However, the safety room looks much different this year. Ahead of Cisco’s re-signing, the Jets traded for three-time All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick and signed Dane Belton while feeling confident in Malachi Moore, who flashed promise down the stretch as a fourth-round rookie last season.
At first glance, the decision to bring him back made sense, as we broke down. From 2022-23 with the Jacksonvile Jaguars, Cisco was a ball hawk, logging seven interceptions, the fourth most among safeties. He allowed only four touchdowns into his coverage over that span, giving him a stellar 4:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The big difference this year compared to last is that Cisco is viewed as an end of the roster safety rather than a starter.
According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Cisco isn’t a lock to make the team’s 53-man roster, making it important for the Long Island native to have a big summer.
Here is a look at the Jets’ current depth chart at safety:
- Minkah Fitzpatrick
- Dane Belton
- Malachi Moore
- Andre Cisco
- VJ Payne
- Dean Clark
- Jarius Monroe
- Chris Smith II
Most NFL teams typically carry four safeties. Fitzpatrick, Belton, and Moore are roster locks, while seventh-round rookie VJ Payne should also have a high chance of making the team. It would be surprising for the Jets to cut one of their draft picks after just one summer.
Payne possessses tremendous upside; many top analysts had a fourth-round grade on him due to his heavy-hitting ability. Secondly, he will contribute right away on the Jets’ special teams unit, where he had a pivotal role at Kansas.
Do the Jets really want to carry five safeties? Is Cisco that big of a difference maker?
Those are the questions that they will have to answer over the summer. The answer will come down not just to Cisco’s performance, but also to how his competitiors perform, and how many players the team carries at a position like linebacker.
At this juncture, Cisco is anything but a lock to make the Jets’ 53-man roster. Keep an eye on him as a potential trade candidate as the summer progresses.
Similarly to Derrick Nnadi’s situation with the team last summer and the recent Irvin Charles trade, perhaps Darren Mougey could look to get something in return for Cisco instead of outright cutting the safety.
