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Jets Starter Gets Benched, Future With Team Uncertain
New York Jets safety Malachi Moore reacting in the middle of an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Getty
The curious case of Malachi Moore.
The talented New York Jets safety started in 14 of 17 games during his rookie season in 2025. Despite that resume, Moore was running with the backups during the preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Not a great sign for Malachi Moore that is out there with third/fourth stringers (who just allowed a long Bucs TD drive),” Jets analyst Joe Caporoso posted on X.
Not a great sign for Malachi Moore that is out there with third/fourth stringers (who just allowed a long Bucs TD drive)
— Joe Caporoso (@JCaporoso) August 15, 2026
The Jet Press posted, “crazy to say but Malachi Moore feels like he’s closer to not making the 53 man roster than he is to even sniffing the field on defense right now.”
crazy to say but Malachi Moore feels like he’s closer to not making the 53 man roster than he is to even sniffing the field on defense right now
— The Jet Press (@TheJetPress) August 15, 2026
“Are we ready to talk about how Arian Smith & Malachi Moore may not make the team in their 2nd year?” Stefan of Jets X-Factor asked on social media.
Are we ready to talk about how Arian Smith & Malachi Moore may not make the team in their 2nd year? #Jets
— Stefan (@li_jets) August 15, 2026
What the Heck Happened?
The Jets loved Moore so much during the pre-draft process that they traded up in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft to secure his services.
“I talked to ( Detroit Lions starting safety) Brian Branch before the draft, and he gave me some really good insight on that player,” head coach Aaron Glenn revealed in April of 2025 via Nick Faria . “Actually, he was the starter right before Branch actually ended up getting the job; he had an injury. Him being a captain that tells what he is, so he’s going to come in and have a chance to compete for a safety spot.”
All of last year Glenn couldn’t stop talking about Moore and the type of player he would become. In college, Moore played for legendary coach Nick Saban at Alabama. He appeared in 64 games.
During his rookie season with the Jets, he appeared in all 17 games and made 14 starts. With those opportunities, he had three tackles for loss, 101 total tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and three pass deflections.
So how did he go from that lofty starting gig to a backup player who might not even make the team? It doesn’t make sense.
Insider Challenged the Young Player to Step Up
On the “Jets Collective” podcast, ESPN’s Rich Cimini bluntly called out Moore.
“Step up, man! It’s time to step up! You were a fourth-round pick last year; he got a lot of experience at Alabama, he was a 4-year player at Alabama. It’s like, come on now is your chance; take the job,” Cimini emphatically stated.
. @RichCimini told @JakeAsman that it's time for #Jets safety Malachi Moore to "step up" & take the starting job away from Andre Cisco:
"Step up, man! It's time to step up! You were a fourth-round pick last year; he got a lot of experience at Alabama, he was a 4-year player at… pic.twitter.com/ZQtTATSFZ4
— Jets Collective (@NYJetsHMA) August 12, 2026
This passionate plea from Cimini was regarding Moore potentially grabbing a starting gig. We might have to readjust the speech from “take the job” to “take a job.” He doesn’t seem to be in a position to land a starting job; it appears his new focus should be on securing any job.
This offseason, the Jets made a splash by acquiring three-time first-team All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick . He is clearly going to be one of the starters at safety, but there is less certainty at the other position.
Throughout camp, it has been veteran Andre Cisco holding down the fort. He started the first eight games of last season, but he tore his pec and missed the rest of the season.
However, the devil is in the details.
He returned to the Jets this offseason on a one-year deal that only included $1.25 million guaranteed. That means his roster spot isn’t safe, let alone his starting gig.
Cisco is not an impenetrable force as a starter. The job could be taken away from him if someone steps up. Most people assumed that Moore would be that guy, but bluntly, that hasn’t happened so far this offseason.
The young man is running out of time to make an impact, or he could be sentenced to a backup role for his second year in the league or worse, which would be incredibly disappointing.
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A New York JetsNew York JetsMalachi MooreNFLCincinnati BengalsDespiteMooreTampa Bay BuccaneersNotBucs TDJetsJoe Caporoso
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