“Prove a lot of haters wrong”: Jets CB Sauce Gardner's offseason grind has fans hyped
Sauce Gardner’s offseason grind has fans buzzing. On Thursday, the New York Jets All-Pro cornerback put in serious work — sprint drills, explosive lunges and sharp agility movements all on display. It wasn’t just a highlight reel. It was a statement.
Gardner, who’s been doubted for "not being physical enough," is addressing the noise, and fans had plenty to say about it. One fan summed it up with raw hype.
"Sauce finna prove a lot of haters wrong,” a fan tweeted.
“Ah man that got me hyped,” one fan wrote.
That’s the kind of energy Gardner has built around his name since Day 1 in New York. From lockdown rookie to back-to-back All-Pro, he’s been delivering, and fans are feeling the momentum.
Another fan had a critique with concern. People want him stronger, thicker and more dominant in his fourth season.
"Sauce needs to up his calories by 2k per day,” a fan commented.
"He needs to be wrestling, doing judo, and spending most of his day with a tackling dummy... I want to see him at camp with Breece (or better yet, Q) in Oklahoma drills at the end of every practice! LOL," another fan commented.
“Gimmicky workouts, dude just needs to get a bit stronger and add like 15 lbs,” one fan said.
"Will this training help you actually be able to make a tackle and play the ball better?? Let’s hope so because your ball skills and tackling have been abysmal. Step up your game this year,” a fan wrote.
After entering the league as the No. 4 overall pick in 2022, Gardner has earned two first-team All-Pro nods, a Pro Bowl each season and the 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year award. His 20 pass breakups led the league as a rookie. He’s one of only three defenders ever to earn first-team All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons.
Will the Jets pay premium to keep Sauce Gardner in the mix?
Sauce Gardner’s next contract might come with a spicy price tag, and the Jets are officially on the clock.
With cornerback deals heating up across the league, Gardner and his agent, AJ Vaynerchuk, are watching closely. Derek Stingley Jr. inked a $30 million per year extension with the Texans, and that deal could be the new benchmark. Gardner and Stingley were drafted back-to-back in 2022 (third and fourth overall), and their contract paths could mirror each other's.
Last fall, Patrick Surtain II and Jalen Ramsey ($24M per year) helped reset the market. Then came Jaycee Horn in March ($25M per year). However, it was Stingley’s megadeal that flipped the script and likely raised Gardner’s price tag.
The Jets face a tough call. Do they lock up a generational cornerback while rebuilding their core or risk letting the price rise even higher?