It’s no secret the Jets have had a turbulent 14 years since their final playoff look.
However cornerback Sauce Gardner needs to be one of many gamers who may probably change that.
Now that the 2024 season is full, Gardner is eligible for a contract extension after ending his third NFL season and it seems he needs to stick with the group long-term.
“We got to see,” Gardner mentioned final week. “I just take it one day at a time. I’m going to let my agent handle that. Obviously, I want to be part of this for a long time.
“I want to be part of this for a long time. Obviously, one person can’t change it, but I want to be one of the reasons it changes. I’m going to let my agent handle it and he is going to do his job and I’m going to focus on doing mine.”
The 2024 season was a down 12 months for Gardner after his excellent first two years within the league. He registered 49 tackles, 9 cross breakups and one interception after battling a hamstring damage late within the 12 months. Throughout his first two seasons within the league, Gardner averaged 66 tackles and 16 cross breakups.
Gardner was additionally chosen as a first-team All-Professional and Professional Bowler throughout his first two years. He was additionally named the 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Yr.
Nonetheless, when opposing quarterbacks focused Gardner this season, they accomplished 56.9% of their passes and had an 86.9 passer score, in response to Professional Soccer Reference.
“I thought there was moments where his greatness was on full display, there was some growth with him too that I thought was amazing in a lot of ways and there is also times where he would admit too, where he left some stuff out there,” Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich mentioned about Gardner. “He is capable of making some plays that maybe he didn’t make but that goes on every human being in this building, we all fell short in some capacity, but it wasn’t all bad.”
Gardner’s tackling was extra problematic than ever earlier than. He had a missed deal with charge of 17.5%, in response to Professional Soccer Focus, rating him eightieth out of 96 certified cornerbacks. He additionally dedicated 11 penalties after solely 5 throughout his first two seasons.
“I feel like it was really OK,” Gardner mentioned about his 2024 season. “Obviously, my standard that I got for myself and set for myself is on a different level. It’s just me being my biggest critic.
“My season this year, is not at my standard, but it would be an elite season depending on who you are talking about. I had a lot of missed tackles and I’m going to clean that up this offseason. In coverage, I did pretty good. In all three years, this is probably my lowest targeted season. I felt like it was OK.”
Clearly, the Jets have lots to contemplate this offseason, together with discovering a brand new basic supervisor and coach after Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh have been each fired amidst a 5-12 season. They need to additionally determine on Aaron Rodgers‘ future, as his contract has zero guaranteed money remaining.
However, the new GM will undoubtedly consider keeping players like Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who were part of the Jets’ 2022 golden draft class. Together with Gardner and Wilson, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson and working again Breece Corridor are additionally eligible to obtain contract extensions this offseason.
Wilson can be anticipated to be searching for a long-term contract. There may be additionally hypothesis Wilson may ask for a commerce after being noncommittal about wanting to stay with the membership final month.
Gang Inexperienced does have Gardner below contract for doubtless two extra seasons. The group will doubtless train Gardner’s fifth-year possibility, which is projected to be at $20.4 million, in response to Over the Cap.
Talking of a brand new coach, the Jets have interviewed 9 candidates up to now, with extra to come back. Gardner wish to see sure attributes within the subsequent coach.
“Somebody that’s a leader, somebody that doesn’t lack confidence,” Gardner mentioned. “When you are leading a group of men, they are watching everything that coach does. So just being confident in everything that he do.
“You can’t come in here with this mindset, like, let’s just win a few games or let’s just win more games than last year. You have to come in here with a mentality and mindset to win it all — go to the playoffs, go to the Super Bowl. That’s just what it’s got to be. Everything that we do to lead up to that has to be right.”
Initially Printed: January 14, 2025 at 3:22 PM EST
