Steelers Tabbed As Team To Make Strong Move For Veteran Jets Defender

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the many teams across the NFL that is being urged to acquire some more talent at the NFL's trade deadline. The deadline hits on Tuesday, November 10th, and there are a few weaknesses on the roster that the organization may want to consider upgrading before moving into the second half of the 2026 season. The Steelers are currently 6-2 and leading the way in the AFC North, and if the team wants to be taken seriously as a contender it would be best for General Manager Omar Khan to bring in another wide receiver or find a way to shore up the secondary.

Khan has shown before that he will be aggressive at the trade deadline. That is how he operated back during the 2024 season as the Steelers brought in multiple players before the deadline. Wide receiver is clearly the biggest need on the current roster, but an argument could be made that some help is needed on the back end of the defense. This can be at safety or cornerback, as both positions are rather similar in the level of talent and depth Pittsburgh currently has at those spots.

Beat writer Mike DeFabo released an article for The Athletic on Friday where he discussed the trade deadline and the Steelers, and highlighted the three positions mentioned above as areas the team might add. He also highlighted a few players in particular, one of which being safety Andre Cisco of the New York Jets.

"Benched after Week 3, Cisco would be a low-cost addition who has experience playing in the post," DeFabo wrote. "He intercepted eight passes with the Jaguars from 2022 to 2024. A move like this would be more for depth than anything else."

Cisco has a good amount of experience as a safety in the NFL. Things haven't really gone his way in New York during the 2025 season, and a lot of that might have to do with the addition of Minkah Fitzpatrick. Cisco was a big part of the defense in 2025, but he has been benched in 2026 after having a rough start to the season. His benching could make him expendable as he has played less than 10 defensive snaps in New York's recent games.

Cisco spent the first four years of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was never a Pro Bowler or a household name at the safety position, but he was a fairly well-known safety around the league. After his rookie deal in Jacksonville he signed a one-year deal in New York, and he then re-signed with the Jets on another one-year deal during the 2026 offseason. His second one-year deal with the Jets was worth significantly less than the first.

The veteran was trending towards being a pretty solid safety during his time with the Jaguars, and things just have not worked out in New York. A change of scenery could be good for him, and he would be rather inexpensive for Khan to go and get ahead of the deadline next week.

Steelers Fans Want Another Safety From The Jets

Fitzpatrick is with the Jets after being traded there by the Miami Dolphins during the 2026 offseason. He also signed a new extension with New York. The casual fan sees that the Steelers may want to consider adding at safety and throws out Fitzpatrick's name, but it is actually still not allowed for Pittsburgh to go out and trade for the veteran. He was traded by Pittsburgh less than two years ago, which means the Steelers would have to wait to make any sort of move like that. They could sign him if he was released, but a team cannot trade for a player it traded away within a two year window.

What do you think about the potential addition of Cisco? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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