Free Agent 'Plot Twist': Safety Not Signing With Jets (2024)

GettyFormer Minnesota Vikings defensive back Lewis Cine warming up during an NFL game.

Well, that didn’t last long.

Safety Lewis Cine is not signing with the New York Jets and will instead sign with one of the Jets’ AFC East rivals, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

“Plot twist: Former Vikings first-round S Lewis Cine is expected to sign with the Bills’ practice squad,” Garafolo tweeted on August 29. “Cine, who is headed to Buffalo now, had initially leaned toward the Jets but opts to go elsewhere in the AFC East.”

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler had reported on August 28 that Cine, who was cut a day earlier by the Minnesota Vikings, was signing with the Jets.

Cine is a third-year player who was drafted in the first round by Minnesota in 2022.

What the Heck Happened With Lewis Cine?

ESPN’s Rich Cimini tweeted that the Jets expected Cine to “fly in for a physical” and ultimately sign a deal to join the team’s practice squad.

“Bills are rebuilding at safety and he apparently saw a better opportunity. Nothing is done until the deal is signed,” Cimini speculated.

Fowler later reported that Cine “changed his mind.”

“After planning to sign with the Jets, Lewis Cine has now pivoted and is signing with the Bills practice squad,” Fowler tweeted. “Cine changed his mind after sorting through everything Wednesday. His college coach, Jahmile Addae, is the DB coach in Buffalo. Was heavily recruited by teams throughout the day.”

Social Media Strongly Reacts to Cine Spurning the Jets

Jets fans, perhaps surprised to not see Cine’s name on the list when the Jets announced their practice squad, sounded off on X.

“I don’t care if he never steps on the field. Lewis Cine is an enemy for life,” one fan tweeted.

Michael Nania of Jets X-Factor jokingly thanked Cine for his tenure with the team.

“0 penalties, 0 missed tackles, 0 blown coverages. The BEST to ever man the deep middle in green and white. Thank you, Lewis Cine. #ThankYouLewis”

Another fan tweeted an old clip of receiver Julio Jones overpowering safety Malcolm Butler as they both go up for a pass, writing that he “can’t wait till Mike Williams does this to Lewis Cine in the Bills game.”

“I made a vid about Lewis Cine being the perfect reclamation project for the Jets. I’m now about to make a vid on how the Jets dodged a bullet with this POS going to Buffalo instead,” a Jets content creator said.

Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic tweeted: “All the Lewis Cine celebrations were for naught.”

“Antoine Winfield, Anthony Barr, Lewis Cine……I guess Jets gotta stop trusting Vikings players lol. All seriousness, would’ve been curious to see what Saleh/Ulbrich had in mind for developing Cine, but he has one career tackle. Not going to get too bent out of shape over this,” Jets radio host Scott Mason said.

To Mason’s point, this isn’t the first time the Jets have been burned in the past – specifically by former Vikings players.

It doesn’t feel good when you think you have a player coming into the building and then you don’t.

A valuable lesson with a story like this is a deal isn’t done until it’s done. A gentleman’s agreement is not necessarily an ironclad deal.

Look no further than the Haason Reddick holdout with the Jets. Reddick declined a extension offer from the Jets, so the team expected he would play under his current contract. But he has not participated in any team activity since being traded in the spring.