Somewhere on Monday, March 17 New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner had a huge smile on his face.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter was first to share on social media that the Houston Texans and All-Pro CB Derek Stingley Jr agreed “to a three-year, $90 million extension including $89 million guaranteed. At $30M base value per year, Stingley is now the highest paid defensive back in NFL history. The CB market has been completely reset.”
Record deal: Texans All-Pro CB Derek Stingley Jr has agreed to a three-year, $90 million extension including $89 million guaranteed. At $30M base value per year, Stingley is now the highest paid defensive back in NFL history. The CB market has been completely reset.
Deal… pic.twitter.com/g8nzFFFQvj
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport responded to that news saying, “Today is a good day for not only Derek Stingley Jr… but also Sauce Gardner. A new bar has been set.”
Gardner Is Going to Be a Very Wealthy Man Sooner Rather Than Later
“By the time the Jets (eventually) pay Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, they both should land in the range of $30 million per season,” Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic predicted on X previously Twitter. “Tee Higgins just got slightly under 30 (and Wilson has been better/more productive) and Derek Stingley just got 30.”
By the time the #Jets (eventually) pay Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, they both should land in the range of $30 million per season.
Tee Higgins just got slightly under 30 (and Wilson has been better/more productive) and Derek Stingley just got 30. https://t.co/RWULZ9wrRM
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) March 17, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY said Sauce Gardner’s “price went up again” after the record-breaking Stingley extension.
On March 10 Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn became the highest paid defensive back in NFL history by way of a four-year deal for $100 million. That deal included $70 million guaranteed and that $25 million per year average was the new watermark for cornerbacks.
That record setting deal lasted on top of the billboard for a grand total of a week.
On Monday, March 17 the record books were destroyed again.
Stingley’s new deal pays him $30 million per season which reset the CB market by $5 million more per season.
Gardner is eligible this offseason for a new contract. Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News said whenever the team deicides to extend him, “he will likely become the highest-paid cornerback.”
According to the numbers from ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Gardner and Stingley compare very favorably to each other.
The Sauce Gardner-Derek Stingley comparison is very interesting. Gardner has more accolades, Stingley has better stats because of his INT total.
Football comparisons can be tricky because of different schemes, etc. It’s not like we’re comparing two third basemen in baseball.…
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 17, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Jets Unfairly Blamed for Dragging Their Feet
“Annnnnd the Jets waited too long lol. Texans just completely reset the CB market. Jets will have to top this with Sauce Gardner,” The Jet Press posted on social media.
Did the Jets wait too long?
Gardner has only been eligible to discuss a contract extension this offseason for the first time. The Jets fired their head coach and general manager during the season. Aaron Glenn was announced as the new head coach on January 22. Darren Mougey was hired on January 25 to be the new general manager.
Between then and now the Jets have had the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, and free agency. That is a lot of items on the to-do-list with very little time to dilly-dally.
When you hire a new regime, especially considering the Jets’ exhaustive process, it takes time and everyone has to play catch up after.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jets’ Sauce Gardner Receives Great News After $90 Million Extension appeared first on Heavy Sports.