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The New York Jets are bringing back safety Andre Cisco on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million – with incentives that could push it to $5.25 million, a source confirmed Friday.
It’s a significant pay cut for Cisco, who signed an $8.5 million contract with the Jets last year after four seasons in Jacksonville.
His 2024 season didn’t go as planned. Cisco started the opener but managed just eight games before tearing a pectoral muscle that ended his year. He’s said he’s fully recovered and ready for the offseason program.
The production wasn’t there either – Cisco got his hands on only one pass all season, and it was a breakup rather than an interception.
That lack of ball skills became historic in the worst way. The Jets became the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without recording a single interception.
Former starter Tony Adams left for the Tennessee Titans, creating a void the Jets have been scrambling to fill.
The team isn’t relying solely on Cisco’s return. They’ve made aggressive moves this week to address what’s clearly a problem area, trading for former Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and signing Dane Belton (who spent last season with the Giants).
Despite back-to-back down years, there’s a track record that suggests Cisco can contribute. During his early years with the Jaguars – who selected him in the third round in 2021 – he showed real ball skills when playing high safety. He’s one of just six players in the league with at least eight interceptions and one defensive touchdown in that role.
The homecoming story had promise. Cisco grew up in the New York City area rooting for the Jets as a kid; wearing the green and white was supposed to mean something.
Instead, it turned sour fast.
At 25 years old, Cisco has appeared in 71 games with 55 starts across his career. The Jets are betting that a healthy season and reduced financial commitment might unlock the playmaker they thought they were getting a year ago.
