The Detroit Lions are making a small move with a potentially useful payoff, adding veteran safety Andre Cisco from the New York Jets as they keep working the roster ahead of the Tuesday 2026 NFL trade deadline.
Detroit’s offense is already in solid shape, but the secondary has been the area begging for help. Brian Branch is back, Kirby Joseph may not be far behind, and still the Lions went out and found another body for the back end in a deal that cost them only a 2028 sixth-round pick.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the agreement, writing: "Trade: The Jets are sending S Andre Cisco to the Detroit Lions for a 2028 6th-round pick, sources tell ESPN," Schefter reports. "Cisco's on an expiring contract."
Cisco gives Detroit a rental safety with some real experience. He’s 26 and was originally a third-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. This season with the Jets, he appeared in all nine games, started four, and posted one pass defended, one forced fumble, one sack, and 23 total tackles, along with two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits.
The most encouraging number for the Lions is what Cisco has done in coverage. He has allowed a 63.5 passer rating this season, which is a strong sign for a team looking for help in the secondary. His track record in coverage hasn’t always been as clean, but Detroit is betting on the version of Cisco it’s getting right now.
For the price, it’s a sensible swing. Cisco should give the Lions a useful veteran presence in the safety room for the rest of the season, where he’ll join Branch, Keith Abney II, and Chuck Clark. Once Joseph comes off the PUP list, Detroit could have a safety group that looks a lot sturdier than it did before this trade.
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