The Lions didn’t land a headline-grabbing deadline swing this time. Instead, Brad Holmes came away with a depth addition, bringing in safety Andre Cisco from the Jets, and even that deal had to be adjusted before the dust settled.
Detroit originally was reported to be sending a 2028 sixth-round pick for the sixth-year defensive back. But after the deadline passed, the return changed to a 2029 sixth-round selection once the Lions uncovered a concerning medical report on Cisco. It was a reminder that even a completed trade can still be shaped by what teams find in the medical file.
Cisco arrives in Detroit after two seasons with Aaron Glenn’s group in New York. In nine games with the Jets in 2026, the former Jaguars third-round pick posted 23 total tackles, including two for loss, along with a pass defensed, a sack and a forced fumble. Pro Football Focus gave him a 63.2 overall grade, which ranked 44th among 100 qualified safeties.
His injury history includes one major setback: a torn pectoral muscle against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8 of last season. That required surgery and sidelined him for the final nine games of the year.
Trade terms changing after the fact isn’t common, though it has happened before. The Broncos once backed out of a deadline deal for Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley after he failed his physical because of a knee issue.
Cisco is now lined up to make his Lions debut in Germany against the New England Patriots. In his first matchup with New England this season, back in Week 6 with the Jets, he played just two defensive snaps and finished with a 60.0 PFF overall grade.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard sees Cisco as a flexible piece who can move around the back end of the defense.
“I think he could do it all,” Sheppard said of the safety. “I think that Cisco is a guy that can play in the high part of the field, a deep part, post, quarter trap, things like that. But, I also think he’s a guy, obviously, with his size, his frame, his abilities, that you could put him down in the box and park him in the boxes of down safety as well.
“So just having an opportunity to not have a one-trick pony, a guy that, all right, if I want to do this, a la with Kerby (Joseph). If I want to do this, a la with Chuck (Clark), Izzy (Christian Izien), BB (Brian Branch). He allows me to do that and move those guys without second-guessing them.”
The Lions and Patriots will meet Sunday morning at 9:30 EST in Munich, Germany.
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