Jets’ Defense May Be Moving On From Familiar Piece

The New York Jets have to take a look at the secondary this offseason.

That's not just because of the fact that Sauce Gardner was traded away. Cornerback is a question for the team. New York has Brandon Stephens, Azareye'h Thomas and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. That's a good start. But the Jets could use one more option to replace Gardner. Safety is much more in the air. Malachi Moore showed flashes as a rookie and could be good for the team in 2026. But both Andre Cisco and Tony Adams are both completely up in the air. Both are free agents, but the Jets could use an upgrade anyway.

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While discussing the team's top free agents, The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt noted that Adams is "unlikely" to return, anyway.

The Jets need to address the defense

Nov 30, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets safety Tony Adams (22) reacts against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"No. 10. S Tony Adams (age 27)," Rosenblatt wrote. "His Jets career might best be known for something that was out of his control: When owner Woody Johnson forced Ulbrich to bench him during the 2024 season. Adams was benched a couple more times by Aaron Glenn’s staff in 2025. It was a bumpy end of his Jets tenure to be sure, and he’s certainly a flawed player, but he can bring some valuable depth and experience to a secondary, and it would be fair to call him a success story considering he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and became a full-time starter.

"PFF graded him 49th of 83 safeties to play at least 400 snaps, and 30th in coverage. He had a poor missed tackle rate of 15.5 percent, and often those missed tackles led to huge plays or touchdowns. Adams is unlikely to return to the Jets in 2026. Others: OL Max Mitchell, WR John Metchie (restricted), DB Isaiah Oliver, FB Andrew Beck, G Xavier Newman-Johnson."

Rosenblatt noted that Cisco is unlikely to come back as well.

When free agency opens up, three names the Jets should consider are Kyle Dugger, Reed Blankenship and CJ Gardner-Johnson. Any of these three arguably would be a better option than what the Jets had. The secondary is going to look different in 2026. When it comes to safety, that may not be the worst thing.

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