Andre Cisco Is Starting to Lose Ground in Safety Battle at Jets Camp

One Jet's ascension has put some increased pressure on Cisco.

Andre Cisco needs to step up before he completely falls out of this race. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the biggest discussion points from Jets training camp has been the safety battle and who lines up opposite of veteran Minkah Fitzpatrick when the regular season begins.

While a roster spot has never really been in doubt for Andre Cisco, he is not in a favorable position to be the starter that many viewed him as entering the offseason. The 2021 third-round pick by the Jaguars signed a one-year extension to remain in the Big Apple, but he is coming off a 2025 season that ended prematurely due to a pectoral tear and was not guaranteed to be the starter by any stretch.

On top of his questionable outlook entering offseason team activities, Cisco has been completely outshone by offseason acquisition Dane Belton, who has turned heads with multiple pass breakups, interceptions and by consistently making plays at the line of scrimmage.

The 2022 fourth-round pick had the second-most total tackles (120) for the New York Giants last season and forced the same number of turnovers (four) as the entire Jets defense. Hardly anyone expected him to become a legitimate contender for a starting spot alongside Fitzpatrick, but he has thrived in training camp so far and flipped the safety room upside down.

Andre Cisco's Jets future is unclear as Dane Belton shines

According to Pro Football Focus, Cisco had a 54.5 coverage grade and a 75.6 run-defense grade last season, both of which ranked 67th and 28th, respectively, out of 98 qualified safeties. To his credit, though, Cisco was solid against the run and had similar grades to his safety counterparts Belton and Malachi Moore.

However, despite registering the second-most total tackles (101) on the Jets roster in 2025, Moore disappointed in OTAs and minicamp and has stood out as a huge concern going into the season, likely leading to this battle coming down to Cisco and Belton.

If Cisco wants to elevate his game and retain his starting spot, it is not going to be an easy feat.

After all, Belton recorded the lowest missed tackle percentage (4.1%) among all safeties to play at least 400 snaps last season, per PFF. He also added two sacks, three tackles for loss, five passes defended, one interception and three forced fumbles to go along with his 120 tackles, further proving why Cisco has his work cut out for him on this depth chart.

Dane Belton's strong offseason performance is putting the heat on Andre Cisco. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Coming off arguably the best season of his young NFL career, Belton is certainly poised for a breakout 2026 campaign and is already showing why Cisco could be pushed out the door, or at least demoted to backup. Sure, Cisco had as many as 73 total tackles with the Jaguars in 2022 and followed that up with four picks in 2023, but he was far from that kind of production in his injury-plagued 2025 debut season with the Jets.

There is no denying that Belton's future with the Jets continues to change as his training camp buzz grows. Head coach Aaron Glenn has already confirmed that the Jets are working him off-ball, in the box and as a cover safety, which could prove valuable in the long run for a team that finished fourth-worst in missed tackles last season.

Cisco has continued to struggle and make his case against an ascending Belton, whose elite play, versatility and ball-hawk skills have already made a strong impression in a position battle that has not gone the way that most expected it to when the offseason began.

It is also important to keep in mind that Cisco has been one of the biggest losers since the opening days of training camp, so it's not like this is an overnight deal. He has not had any key moments in practice, and his ball skills have been nonexistent, which is not exactly the best situation to be in among a crowded safety room.

There is still some time for Cisco to change the narrative during the Jets' preseason slate, but it is hard to ignore the ground he has lost to Belton in the safety competition and why his 2026 season could take a hit before it even starts.

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