Taking care of business.
One day after agreeing to a four-year contract extension with wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the New York Jets wasted no time moving on to their other star from the 2022 draft class, cornerback Sauce Gardner.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Gardner and the Jets have agreed on a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid cornerback in the history of professional football.
The deal includes $85.653 million guaranteed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
In terms of total value, Gardner’s deal eclipses the previous record for the cornerback position – Denzel Ward’s $100.5 million – by nearly $20 million. The Jets also tacked on a little extra money so Gardner could set the new cornerback record for average annual value ($30.1 million), barely eclipsing Derek Stingley’s record ($30 million).
The record-setting contract is well-deserved for a record-setting player. Gardner is the only cornerback in NFL history to be named a first-team All-Pro in each of his first two NFL seasons.
While Gardner took a step back from his All-Pro-level play in 2024, he remained one of the more productive cover corners in the NFL. In 15 games, Gardner allowed just one touchdown, 391 yards, and 25 receptions in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus.
Since being drafted fourth overall in 2022, Gardner has played in 48 games for the Jets, recording 181 tackles, 40 passes defended, and three interceptions. According to PFF, he has been targeted just 171 times in coverage (3.6 targets per game), yielding 87 receptions (50.9% completion rate) for 1,003 yards (20.9 yards per game), three touchdowns, and three interceptions. That’s a passer rating of 67.5.
With Gardner and Wilson locked up, the Jets are set to enter training camp drama-free, a night-and-day transition from the previous two seasons. The new regime, led by Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey, is practicing what Glenn preached early in the offseason: “moving in silence.”