No cornerback in league history has had the kind of success that Sauce Gardner enjoyed in his first two years with the New York Jets.
After a down year, though, Gardner’s push for a long-term extension has become clouded. The two-time All-Pro is looking to become the highest-paid player at his position.
The fact that the two sides have yet to come to terms on an agreement is causing concern in the fanbase.
So what is the holdup? According to Gardner, the lack of a deal is nothing to be overly worried about.
Sauce Gardner, Jets Contract Update
Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday afternoon, Gardner made it clear that contract discussions between his representation and the Jets are going well.
“It’s been pretty productive,” Gardner explained. “We have our goals in terms of numbers and stuff, and the Jets are aware of that. And I’m aware of the rest of my peers like Jaycee (Horn), (Derek) Stingley, Pat (Surtain) … that’s all guys that are deserving of the money they’re getting.
“It’s definitely something my team and the Jets are talking about.”
Gardner’s comments are a major positive for New York. He has made it clear that he wants to be a member of the team for the long haul. The fact that he was willing to go public with a positive update regarding his contract status is a good thing for the Jets.
That doesn’t mean everything has been resolved, though.
The corners mentioned by Gardner – Horn, Stingley, and Surtain – all agreed to long-term contract extensions with their teams over the last two years. Stingley, in particular, agreed to a new deal that paid him over $30 million annually.
Houston’s All-Pro reset the market this offseason. His contract is now the barometer for any deal that Gardner is going to push for.
Gardner has been more consistent than Stingley over his career. He’s the first defensive back in NFL history to be named as a first-team All-Pro in the first two years of his career. Stingley made his first All-Pro appearance in 2024; he only played 20 games over his first two seasons.
In 2024, while Gardner failed to reach his previous elite status, he still managed to record a 73.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 21st out of 128 corners. That is still the mark of a really good player – just not one who was an All-Pro over the last two years.
Players like Gardner get extensions for their potential, not for their past production.
And New York’s star corner has the potential to be the best in the league moving forward. That alone is enough to make him the highest-paid player in the league at his position.