Jets safety Andre Cisco fits nicely with Aaron Glenn's defensive plans
Andre Cisco with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023. Credit: Getty Images/Courtney Culbreath
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Aaron Glenn watched Andre Cisco play at Syracuse and learned more about the player and person he is from one of Cisco’s college teammates.
Glenn liked what he saw from Cisco and heard about him from former Lions defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu, who played for the Jets' new head coach when he was Detroit’s defensive coordinator.
When it came time to address the Jets’ safety position, Cisco topped Glenn’s list.
The Jets reached an agreement with Cisco, who is from Long Island, on the first day of the free-agent negotiation period. They gave the former Jaguar a one-year, $8.5 million contract to be a playmaker and leader in the secondary.
“I remember watching him in college,” Glenn said. “We had Ifeatu Melifonwu on our team who was his teammate, and he talked about him all the time. I know he's a big man, he has really good ball skills.”
The Jets needed to shore up their defensive backfield overall.
Starting cornerback D.J. Reed signed with the Lions. The Jets replaced him with former Ravens corner Brandon Stephens. They also re-signed versatile corner Isaiah Oliver.
Safety Chuck Clark wasn’t re-signed and Ashtyn Davis joined the Dolphins. The Jets tendered restricted free agent Tony Adams and added the 6-foot Cisco to solidify the back end of their defense.
“He’s got good size, he's athletic, he's got ball skills,” general manager Darren Mougey said. “He kind of fits the profile of what we're looking for there at safety.”
Cisco spent his first four seasons in Jacksonville and showed potential while playing in an unstable environment that featured heavy turnover. He played for three different head coaches, three different defensive coordinators and three different position coaches in his four seasons.
The former Valley Stream resident who went to St. Anthony’s High School for two years became a full-time starter in his second season in Jacksonville. He had 203 tackles over the past three seasons with eight interceptions, 22 passes defended and a forced fumble.
Cisco had a bit of a down year in 2024. He forced just one turnover and had some coverage breakdowns. He was not alone. The Jaguars were the worst passing defense in the league.
The Jets were not concerned about what happened last season. Glenn believes Cisco has all the tools to be an impactful player on his defense.”
“Listen I know last year, I don't know what happened in Jacksonville,” Glenn said. “But I know who that player is, and I'm looking forward to that player being a leader of our secondary.”
Confident in Jermaine Johnson
Glenn said Jermaine Johnson “is working his [butt] off to get back where he needs to be.” Johnson tore his Achilles tendon in Week 2 last season. Glenn coached Johnson at the 2022 Senior Bowl and said he knows “exactly what he brings to the table.”
“That player has a lot of confidence in who he is,” Glenn said. “We have a lot of confidence in him. So we're looking forward to him getting back on the field.”
Comfortable with Chukwuma Okorafor
The Jets did “a good amount of investigation” on offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, who left the Patriots after one game last year and did not return to the team. Glenn said he “felt comfortable with his answers” after speaking with Okorafor on the matter.
Okorafor, the Steelers’ third-round pick in 2018, started 59 games for Pittsburgh. He signed with the Patriots last year, was benched after 12 snaps and left the team. Glenn called Okorafor “a really good player” and feels “he could be a piece of the puzzle” on the offensive line.
Allen Lazard’s future
The Jets view Allen Lazard as an asset as a receiver and blocker and hope to restructure his contract. His cap number is $13.2 million.
“Hopefully something can work out, but we understand how this business is,” Glenn said. “If it doesn't, it doesn’t. But if it does, man, we're going to utilize his talent the way we need to do.”
The Jets added receivers Tyler Johnson and Josh Reynolds in free agency. Reynolds, an ex-Lion, could play a similar role as Lazard. Glenn has a longstanding relationship with Reynolds that precedes their time together in Detroit and said Reynolds can create explosive plays in the run game with his blocking.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
