Jets make first move ahead of trade deadline with Andre Cisco deal

With the NFL's trade deadline just over 26 hours away, the New York Jets have made their first move, shipping out veteran safety Andre Cisco to the Detroit Lions, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. In exchange, New York is receiving a 2028 sixth-round pick.

Cisco, who had spent the last season and a half with New York, was a popular trade candidate. The Jets had a surplus of depth at safety, especially with the impending return of 2026 seventh-round pick VJ Payne, and Cisco was an attractive option for prospective playoff contenders.

The writing was on the wall in Week 9, when Cisco took a backseat as the Jets' third safety to 2025 draft pick Malachi Moore. It was abundantly clear that New York was planning on moving him ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

Now, New York has opened up more playing time for their young guys, particularly Moore and Payne. We'll see if Darren Mougey ends up pulling the trigger on any more trades leading into the deadline.

New York Jets need to keep selling ahead of trade deadline

By all accounts, the Jets don't intend to be major sellers ahead of the trade deadline. Aaron Glenn reiterated on Monday morning that New York wants to be "in the business of keeping good players" in the wake of Will McDonald's trade request.

However, the Jets should be more than willing to deal whatever talent they have that prospective playoff teams are interested in, including McDonald.

New York already has a pretty large stockpile of draft capital in 2027, but it wouldn't hurt to add even more. At a certain point, yes, they do need to start keeping their talent, but it's abundantly clear that the guys they have in the building aren't going to be enough to push them in the winning direction.

Guys like McDonald, cornerback Nahshon Wright, and even running back Breece Hall should all be available for the right price. Not just for the draft picks, but to continue to open up playing time for other players.

The best part of the Cisco deal isn't even the 2028 draft pick; it's the opportunity for the Jets' young players to get some run as the season comes to a close.

The remainder of the 2026 season is no longer about the current regime proving they're the right ones to turn the team around. It's now about which players belong here for the long haul.

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