Sauce Gardner now has a lot of dough.
The Jets and Gardner agreed Tuesday to a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, The Post confirmed.
It was the second time in as many days that Jets owner Woody Johnson broke the bank to lock up one of his franchise cornerstones. It cost more than $250 million in total to secure receiver Garrett Wilson and Gardner — who arrived together as top-10 draft picks in 2022 — through the 2030 season.
“THE DEAL IS DONE,” Gardner wrote on X. “This only the beginning. … I appreciate the Jets organization for believing in me, my teammates for the blood, sweat, & tears we put in, and JETS NATION… I appreciate y’all supporting me. Thank you GOD.”
Gardner’s contract narrowly eclipsed the benchmark set by Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr., who was drafted one pick ahead of Gardner in 2022 and signed for $30 million per year.
Those two are lapping the field as the Panthers’ Jaycee Horn ($25 million per year) is the third-highest-paid cornerback.
The knock on Gardner compared to his peers is that he does not produce enough takeaways. He has recorded three interceptions and one forced fumble in 48 career games.
But there is no denying Gardner’s standing as a shutdown corner who quarterbacks tend to avoid. He is a two-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro after three seasons.
Jets fans are used to painfully drawn-out high-drama extension negotiations that don’t always end well, whether with John Abraham, Darrelle Revis or Jamal Adams.
Welcome to a new era.
General manager Darren Mougey has made his first big splash by quietly getting the two massive extensions done before the start of training camp and not making his two young stars wait until after their fourth season — at which point the price tag only would have increased.
Source link
