There was a lot to be pleased with from the Jets' preseason Week 2 shutout win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on both sides of the ball, but one particular player stood to benefit the most with his back already against the wall.
Safety Andre Cisco signed a one-year extension to remain in the Big Apple following a 2025 season that was cut short due to a pectoral tear, though he has been one of the biggest losers from training camp with his dissipating ball skills and the standout play from offseason acquisition Dane Belton .
While Belton logged four total tackles and had a great first half in Friday night's 17-0 win, Cisco came away with the team's first interception since the 2025 preseason on a jumped crossing route deep in the red zone, showcasing the type of skill set he can bring to this secondary when he is healthy.
The goal coming into the offseason was to have a stiff competition for the starting safety position opposite of veteran Minkah Fitzpatrick . Belton has had the upper hand and it was clear that Cisco needed a big game against the Steelers to save his roster spot , but his outlook greatly improved as one of the team's best performers on Friday.
Although Cisco, the 2021 third-rounder of the Jacksonville Jaguars , registered as many as 73 total tackles in 2022 and had four interceptions in 2023, injuries derailed his 2025 debut season in Gang Green and left him fighting for something to prove going into Year 2 in Gotham.
On top of that, Pro Football Focus gave Cisco the 67th-ranked coverage grade (54.5) and the 28th-ranked run-defense grade (75.6) out of 98 qualified safeties last season. He has not been bad against the run, but the lack of impressions throughout the offseason had done nothing to ease the pressure until his preseason Week 2 breakout flipped the script.
Aug 21, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets safety Andre Cisco (left) intercepts a pass intended for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (14) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
That said, he lost a lot of ground to Belton in the safety battle prior to the win over the Steelers and faced an uncertain outlook for the 2026 season. After all, Belton recorded the second-most tackles (120) on the New York Giants last season and forced the same number of turnovers (four) as the entire Jets defense.
Belton has thrived in training camp with multiple pass breakups, interceptions and by consistently making plays at the line of scrimmage. He also recorded the lowest missed tackle percentage (4.1%) among all safeties who played at least 400 snaps last season, per PFF .
Even though Belton has never been a full-time starter, his stock has been soaring as he continues to emerge as a legitimate candidate to get the nod at safety. His work ethic and overall production at training camp have impressed head coach Aaron Glenn and made this an intriguing battle for reasons that many did not expect when the offseason began.
Prior to Friday night, Belton had put himself in front of Cisco as the front-runner to land the starting spot alongside Fitzpatrick. Throw in the fact that fellow safety Malachi Moore has underwhelmed and failed to make any significant plays and it should come down to Belton and Cisco for the starting duties.
After Friday's interception and highlight-worthy performance, Cisco has reminded everyone that this is not Belton's position for the taking just yet.
He certainly gave him an opening with his unimpressive offseason showing up to this point, but his ability to force one of two Steelers interceptions one week after Pittsburgh committed zero turnovers at all against the Green Bay Packers was the type of performance he needed at just the right time.
Sure, it was still a preseason game that had little meaning in the grand scheme, yet it was also a major step in the right direction if he wants to retain his roster spot.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/jets/onsi as Andre Cisco's Outlook Could Skyrocket After Performance in Jets' Preseason Win vs. Steelers .
