New York Jets Lock Down Young Superstar Cornerback
The New York Jets have been incredibly active in the past couple of days. After signing their young star receiver, Garrett Wilson, to a four-year extension on Monday, the Jets came back Tuesday and signed another young stud in Sauce Gardner to a record-breaking four-year deal, securing the shutdown corner for the near future. The deal makes Gardner the new highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, surpassing Derek Stingley Jr., who was taken one pick ahead of him in the 2022 NFL draft. Sauce will now be under contract for the Jets through 2030.
The contract totals $120.4 million over four years, with an astounding $85.6 million in guarantees. Gardner made it a point during contract discussions that he wanted to be the highest-paid corner in the league by the time his extension was finished, and new general manager Darren Mougey made it happen. The Gardner deal averages out to $30.1 million per year, which is more than the previous record-holder, Houston’s Derek Stingley Jr., by a microscopic amount. Gardner projects to be the number one corner across from Brandon Stephens, a free agent that the Jets signed earlier this offseason.
Some critics are questioning whether the contract was deserved after Gardner’s 2024 season, which saw his production drop off a bit as well as struggle in run defense and tackling. While Gardner’s 2024 season may not have been up to the standard we had come to expect, it is important to note he was playing injured for the last quarter of the season, as he suffered a hamstring injury in week 13 against Seattle, which hampered him for the remainder of the year. People also point to Gardner’s low interception totals in his first few seasons as a reason for him being overrated. While his ball skills could improve, a big reason for his lack of production in that category is that quarterbacks simply do not throw his way. Gardner became the first cornerback since the merger to start his career with two straight All-Pro seasons, and this should not be disregarded just because he had a down year in 2024, a year where he was still top 10 in most important statistical categories for cornerbacks.
