Sauce Gardner is ready to soar into a new tax bracket with the New York Jets.
The All-Pro cornerback appeared on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Wednesday, where he addressed his contract situation and called the talks ‘productive’ thus far.
‘We have our goals, in terms of numbers and stuff like that, and the Jets are aware of that,’ Gardner said. ‘And I’m aware of the rest of my peers, like [Jaycee Horn], [Derek Stingley Jr.], even [Patrick Surtain II] got paid, obviously before me, but those are all guys that are well-deserving of the money that they got. It’s definitely something that my team and the Jets are talking about.’
It’s a market that has gained momentum in recent years, with Stingley catapulting to the top with a three-year, $90 million deal from the Houston Texans. Gardner is considered to be someone who could, and probably will, surpass his fellow 2022 NFL Draft classmate as the highest-paid cornerback in terms of average annual value (AAV).
The Jets opened contract talks with Gardner and Garrett Wilson earlier this offseason.
Both players reported to offseason activities, electing to participate rather than force the issue for a new deal. As Gardner indicated, it was important for him to be at minicamp.
‘Man, I just wanted to show my teammates, show my coaches how much I’m bought into this now,’ Gardner told reporters on June 12. ‘I want to win. I want to change the organization. I want to be a part of changing the organization.’
Gardner has continued to be unfazed by the negotiations, maintaining his focus on the activities on the field.
‘My main focus has been being the best football player I can be, but my team and the Jets have been talking and, you know, I feel pretty good about how the talks have been going,’ Gardner added at the time.
And the star cornerback also seems happy with the work that has taken place on the field as well. When asked by McAfee about the coaching staff and, specifically, new head coach Aaron Glenn, Gardner had good things to say.
‘I’m impressed,’ Gardner said of Glenn and the new coaching staff. ‘Obviously I love defensive-minded head coaches, but the thing that sets him apart is he knows so much about offense as well, so much about special teams. And him, just as a person, he wanna get the best out of you.’
Given Glenn’s experience playing cornerback for the Jets, the new coach is in a unique position to guide Gardner to new heights.
The contract figures to be a foregone conclusion, barring any unexpected bumps in the road – meaning it’s a matter of when, not if. Gardner’s rookie deal still has two years remaining on it after the team picked up his fifth-year option, according to Spotrac. He carries a cap hit of $10.6 million for 2025 and $20.1 million for 2026.
Gardner has been patient and taken the road less traveled in this negotiation.
It appears that it will pay off in a big way sooner rather than later.
