The Detroit Lions just pulled the trigger on a trade, snagging veteran safety Andre Cisco from the New York Jets in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round pick. This move comes hot on the heels of their Week 9 win over the Miami Dolphins, as the Lions clearly want to beef up their roster before the 2026 NFL trade deadline hits on Tuesday.
Cisco’s Eye-Popping Coverage Numbers This Season
The Lions are getting a 26-year-old safety in Cisco, who was a third-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2021. With the Jets this season, he’s played in all nine games, starting four of them. His stat line for 2026 includes one pass defended, one forced fumble, one sack, 23 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits.
But here’s the kicker, the stat the Lions are reportedly most focused on: Cisco has allowed just a 63.5 passer rating in pass coverage this season. Yeah, you read that right. While he’s apparently had some struggles in coverage earlier in his career, this season he’s been lights out. This is a quality veteran addition, a “rental safety” on an expiring contract, for a team that needed some serious help on defense.
What This Means For The Lions’ Secondary
The Lions’ offense might be humming, but their secondary needed some serious love. Brian Branch is back in action, and Kirby Joseph isn’t far off from returning from the PUP list. Bringing in Cisco, even for a future draft pick, shows how much they value that immediate secondary upgrade.
He’s joining Branch, Keith Abney II, and Chuck Clark in the safety room. Once Joseph is back, the Lions could actually have a strong safety group, and that’s something to get hyped about if you’re a fan. They needed help, and they got it with this quality, low-cost veteran pickup that could make a real difference for the rest of the season. This is a calculated move to bolster their defensive backfield for the remainder of the year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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