Reigning Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner gives his 2023 expectations: "Be the best teammate I can be"
Sauce Gardner, the rookie phenom from 2022, is now a household name in the league. The 4th pick from the 2022 draft quickly found his footing in the NFL. Gardner immediately showed how his 6-foot-3 frame and speed can cause big problems for receivers. The Jets looked destined for the playoffs after being 6-3 after nine games.
It did not end well, though, as New York would only win one more game and finish bottom of the division. Nonetheless, Sauce Gardner would make it to the Pro Bowl and win Defensive Rookie of the Year by a landslide.
Sauce Gardner was asked about how he was preparing for next season, to which he answered:
"It was pretty cool, you know, like always, you always have something to work on. I got a lot of things I can work on that's going to get better coming into my second season. I had a pretty good year."
Gardner made his intentions very clear:
"I want to win a Super Bowl. I want to be the best teammate I can be. Not just my personal goals, but I just want to be more team-oriented. I just want to be the best teammate I can be to help my team win."
2010 was the last time the New York Jets made it to the playoffs. There, they were crushed by the New England Patriots during Tom Brady's reign of terror. Buffalo's resurgence since drafting Josh Allen has made things harder for the Jets. Aaron Rodgers, the four-time MVP, will be expected to get this team back into the post-season and bring the Jets to the Super Bowl.
Sauce Gardner and the Jets breathe new life into New York
It's impossible to deny that the Jets struck gold in last year's draft. Sauce Gardner went on to win Rookie of the Year, whilst Garrett Wilson won Offensive Rookie of the Year with over 1000+ receiving yards. Jermaine Johnson, the final first-round pick for the Jets, became a trusted starter as the season progressed.
Breece Hall was en route to stealing the title from Wilson before succumbing to injury. The seven games where Hall played showed everyone how capable he was. The Jets had much less draft capital in 2023 because of the Rodgers trade, but hopefully, their 2023 rookie class is on the same level as 2022.