New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner is having the worst year of his NFL career in 2024, but don’t tell his coach that.
Cornerbacks coach Tony Oden emphatically told the media, “he’s still one of the top corners in the NFL, no doubt about it.”
When asked how he believes Gardner has played through the first seven games of the season, Oden responded, “I think he has done well.”
“Technically he [Gardner] has regressed, he has not produced as well as he has in past years. Now he isn’t being targeted anymore or any less. According to our Next Gen Stats, he has been targeted 22 times in seven games. Last year he had 57 targets and he played 16 games last year. So it is pretty much the same. He has given up 14 receptions this year for 232 yards and a touchdown. Last year as the nearest defender it was 33 catches for 366 yards and two touchdowns,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed on “The Flight Deck Podcast.”
The Biggest Issue for Gardner Has Been Penalty Issues
“His penalties are up. He has four penalties for 48 yards. Last year he had five penalties for 50 the entire year. Of course, he has no interceptions. His streak without an interception is 31 straight games. Now I get it, he isn’t targeted a lot but 31 straight games? That is a lot and so you’re right Sauce is not playing up to where he did his first couple of years,” Cimini admitted.
When Oden was asked about the uptick in Gardner’s penalties, he shrugged his shoulders, and then said, “he gotta play, I gotta coach, and they [the officials] gotta call it.”
A media member followed up by asking if Gardner is playing any differently this season to which Oden bluntly said, “No.”
Gardner has a 70.9 coverage grade through the first seven games of the season. That ranks No. 28 among all cornerbacks, per Pro Football Focus.
Interestingly Gardner’s teammate, D.J. Reed, is the No. 1 corner in the NFL by coverage grade (87.4), per PFF.
Jets Are Likely Going to Keep Gardner Long-Term
“I think Sauce will end up re-signing for a long-term deal [with the Jets]. That is just my sense,” Cimini said.
Gardner will be eligible to discuss a contract extension for the very first time during the 2025 offseason. He was originally projected to become the highest-paid cornerback in football before the season.
Gardner is the only cornerback in the modern era to earn first-team All-Pro honors through his first two seasons. He was absolutely elite in 2022 and 2023, but there has been a drop-off in 2024.
It’ll be interesting to see how this off-year affects the value of a potential long-term deal with the green and white.
The No. 1 highest-paid corner in football is Miami Dolphins standout Jalen Ramsey who averages $24.1 million per year on his new deal. There is a clear upper echelon in the cornerback market with Ramsey and Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II ($24 million per year) and then there is everyone else.
The next highest-paid corner after Ramsey and PS2 is Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers who makes $21 million per season.
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