The Jets spent the week before the NFL trade deadline fielding calls on an edge rusher who had asked to leave and a quarterback a playoff team was curious about. When the window shut at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 10, they moved one player: safety Andre Cisco to the Detroit Lions for a sixth-round pick three drafts away.
The short version: New York’s only deadline trade sent Cisco to Detroit for a late sixth-round pick, announced Monday, November 9. Will McDonald IV, who had requested a trade a day earlier, stayed, as did Nahshon Wright and Geno Smith. The Jets are 2–7 and host Buffalo on Sunday.
What did the Jets get for Andre Cisco?
A sixth-round pick — though which year is now an open question. The club’s own announcement, published Monday afternoon, said the Jets had agreed to acquire a 2028 sixth-round pick from the Lions, and the team’s transactions page still listed 2028 on Wednesday morning. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the same terms. A day later, NFL insider Ari Meirov reported that the deal had been altered and that the Jets would instead receive a 2029 sixth-rounder; the Detroit News reported the change as well. Neither club has explained it, and the Jets have not updated their release. The official team document says 2028; the reporting says 2029. We are noting the difference rather than picking a side.
Why was Cisco available in the first place?
Because by November he was a special-teams player on an expiring contract. Cisco, 26, re-signed with the Jets in March after four seasons in Jacksonville. He opened this year in the lineup when Minkah Fitzpatrick went down with a Week 1 groin injury, then lost the job to Dane Belton. The team’s release credits him with nine games, 23 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass defensed, plus 17 special-teams snaps at Kansas City in Week 9. Detroit, meanwhile, needed bodies: head coach Dan Campbell said the Lions had “liked Cisco from afar,” and Cisco already knows the terminology, having played under Aaron Glenn, Detroit’s former defensive coordinator.
Why didn’t the Jets trade Will McDonald IV?
They have not said. McDonald asked to be traded on Monday, a day before the deadline, and nothing came of it. The New York Post’s Mark Cannizzaro wrote that “there were reports earlier in the week that the Jets were offered a second-day draft pick (as high as a second-rounder) for McDonald,” without naming the reporter behind that claim; Jets On SI described a “significant offer” the club allegedly declined. No team or league source has confirmed any offer, so treat the price tag as unverified. On the record, Glenn spoke Monday about a conversation with his edge rusher: “a really good conversation,” he called it, adding, “He’s a good player, and I still believe that.” ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported on November 1 that McDonald had two sacks at that point and is due $13.8 million guaranteed in 2027 — the number that makes keeping him a decision rather than a formality. His Jets player page carries the rest of his season.
Who else stayed put?
Nahshon Wright, Geno Smith, Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. Wright, who told ESPN before the deadline that he was frustrated and open to a move, has played 22 snaps this season, all on special teams, per Cannizzaro. Smith drew interest — Cannizzaro reported the Vikings inquired — and was not dealt. The Jets’ only other business of the week was procedural: on Monday they signed linebacker Troy Reeder to the active roster and added linebacker Mykal Walker to the practice squad. For how the mechanics of all this work — the 4 p.m. cutoff, cap acceleration, which contracts can actually move — our explainer on how the NFL trade deadline works lays it out.
What does a quiet deadline mean for the rest of the season?
It means this roster, more or less, is the one that plays out the next eight games. A 2–7 team that declined to sell has to find its answers internally —a harder ask after Sunday, when the defense gave up 35 points in Kansas City despite five sacks, as detailed in our Week 9 recap. Buffalo visits MetLife Stadium on Sunday, November 15 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS. Keeping McDonald through a trade request also means managing him through it. More season coverage sits in Jets analysis.
Frequently asked questions
When was the 2026 NFL trade deadline?
The deadline fell at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Trades agreed before that cutoff could be processed; after it, teams could add players only through free agency, waivers, and the practice squad.
What did the Jets receive for Andre Cisco?
A sixth-round pick. The Jets’ official announcement said a 2028 sixth-rounder, and the club’s transactions page still said 2028 as of Wednesday morning. Ari Meirov reported on November 10 that the terms were changed to a 2029 sixth-round pick. The team has not confirmed the change.
Was Will McDonald IV traded?
No. McDonald requested a trade on Monday, November 9, and remained on the roster when the deadline passed the following afternoon. The Jets have not publicly explained the decision, and the team or the league has not confirmed any offer for him.
Did the Jets trade Geno Smith or Breece Hall?
No. Both finished the deadline on the Jets’ roster, as did Garrett Wilson and Nahshon Wright. Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post reported that the Vikings inquired about Smith, but no deal was made.
Why did the Lions want Andre Cisco?
Detroit’s secondary is short-handed, with safety Kerby Joseph on the physically unable to perform list and defensive back Thomas Harper on injured reserve. Dan Campbell said the Lions had long liked Cisco, who knows their scheme from playing under Aaron Glenn.
Who do the Jets play next?
The Jets host the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET, on CBS. New York enters the week 2–7 after a 35–12 loss at Kansas City.