He may still do the golf thing, play his video games, and sprinkle a little spice onto his ice, but make no mistake about where his heart truly lies.
New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner is a football player—first and foremost. It’s his job, and he remains dedicated to perfecting his craft.
The latest evidence of this comes from Gardner’s official Instagram account where several videos were shared in his story section.
Gardner, 24, remains one of the most talented corners in the National Football League. Standing 6-foot-3, his ability to move quickly in tight spaces is as freakish as it gets when considering his lanky frame.
To say he’s a Unicorn at the cornerback position would be the understatement of the decade.
Nonetheless, prototypes aren’t what yield production.
Despite his filthy first two professional seasons—that saw him deservedly named First-Team All-Pro each year—the Cincinnati product dipped a bit in 2024. In 15 games played, Gardner compiled 49 tackles (36 solo), 9 passes defensed, 1 sack, and 1 interception.
The organization and fans alike are hoping Gardner returns to his ceiling in 2025. With Jets legend Aaron Glenn at the helm—the franchise’s second-greatest cornerback of all-time (behind Darrelle Revis)—the hope of a bounce-back is wholly realistic.
At the very least, it appears Gardner is already taking the challenge in stride.
His training videos feature drills to maintain and/or increase foot speed in a variety of situations, and the all-too-sarcastic Jets fans won’t help but scream out that he caught the ball to finish one of the drills—which appeared to take place at UNLV.
Sauce Gardner will enter the 2025 season as the New York Jets’ CB1 on the depth chart. With D.J. Reed’s exit in free agency (signing with the Detroit Lions), Brandon Stephens is the team’s new CB2, whereas the ultra-reliable Michael Carter II owns the slot.
