Lions, Jets renegotiated Andre Cisco trade after concerns arose about his physical
· Yahoo Sports
A controversy arose after the NFL trade deadline when the Broncos demanded to change the terms of their trade with the Chargers after linebacker Daiyan Henley's physical. But Henley wasn't the only traded player whose physical raised concerns.
The Lions also told the Jets they wanted to change the terms of their trade for safety Andre Cisco after concerns about his physical. But unlike the Chargers, the Jets agreed to it, and the Lions ultimately sent the Jets a 2029 sixth-round pick for Cisco after initially agreeing to give up a 2028 sixth-round pick.
Visit mchezo.life for more information.
Tom Pelissero reports that the modified terms were based on medical concerns. There's no word on what those concerns were, but Lions coach Dan Campbell said the plan is for Cisco to play on Sunday against the Patriots.
The Jets went along with the Lions' request, and in the scheme of things the difference between a 2028 sixth-round pick and a 2029 sixth-round pick is minor. Still, it points to an inherent flaw in the NFL's trade rules: The team acquiring a player has the ability to go back on the trade, or negotiate better terms, after the trade deadline. That puts the team trading the player in a difficult position: After you've already told a player you're trading him, and told another player you're signing him or bringing him up from the practice squad to take his place, you don't want to go back on that. So if the team you're trading with tells you, "We didn't like his physical, so we'll back out of the trade unless you take less compensation," you may feel you have no choice but to accept.
The NFL could resolve that by not allowing trades to be renegotiated after the deadline: Either the player passes the physical and the trade goes through, or the player fails the physical and the trade does not go through. No more half measures like, "We failed him on his physical, but we'll pass the physical if you agree to take a lesser draft pick for him."
Another solution could be that physicals for traded players are conducted by an independent, league-appointed doctor, rather than the team's medical staff. If that doctor says the player passes the physical, the team trading for the player can't back out.
The Jets and Chargers had different reactions to their trade partners asking to renegotiate the trades, but the situation both teams were faced with highlights potential problems that can arise with the NFL allowing teams to change the terms of trades after the trade deadline.