Jets Coach sounds on Sauce Gardner’s Struggles in 2024

Heavy on the Jets

New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner is having the worst year of his NFL career in 2024, but don’t tell his coach.

Cornerback coach Tony Oden emphatically told the media, “he’s still one of the top corners in the NFL, no doubt about it.”

Asked how he thinks Gardner has played through the first seven games of the season, Oden said, “I think he’s done well.”

“Technically, he (Gardner) has regressed, he hasn’t produced as well as he has in recent years. Now he’s not being targeted more or less. According to our Next Gen Stats, he’s been targeted 22 times in seven games. Last year he had 57 catches and he played in 16 games last year. He has given up 14 receptions this year for 232 yards and a touchdown. Last year as the closest quarterback it was 366 yards and two touchdowns,” ESPN says. Rich Cimini revealed on “The Flight Deck Podcast”.

The biggest problem for Gardner has been fine issues

“His penalties are up. He has four penalties for 48 yards. Last year he had five penalties for 50 all year. He obviously has no interceptions. His streak without an interception is 31 games in a row. Now I get it, he’s not targeted a lot, but 31 games in a row? That’s a lot, and so you’re right, Sauce doesn’t play up to where he did his first few years,” Cimini admitted.

When asked about Gardner’s increase in penalties, Oden shrugged and then said, “he’s going to play, I’m going to coach, and they (officials) are going to call it.”

A media member followed up by asking if Gardner is playing differently this season, and Oden flatly said, “No.”

Gardner has a coverage rate of 70.9 through the first seven games of the season. It ranks No. 28 among all cornerbacks, per Pro Football Focus.

Interestingly, Gardner’s teammate, DJ Reed, is the No. 1 corner in the NFL in coverage grade (87.4), per PFF.

The Jets are likely to keep Gardner long-term

“I think Sauce will end up re-signing for a long-term deal (with the Jets). That’s just my understanding,” Cimini said.

Gardner will be eligible to discuss a contract extension for the very first time during the 2025 offseason. He was originally expected to stay highest paid cornerback in football before the season.

Gardner is the only cornerback in the modern era to earn first-team All-Pro honors through his first two seasons. He was absolutely elite in 2022 and 2023, but there has been a drop-off in 2024.

It will be interesting to see how this off year affects the value of a potential long-term deal with the green and whites.

The No. 1 highest-paid corner in football is Miami Dolphins standout Jalen Ramsey, who ranks average 24.1 million dollars per year on his new agreement. There’s a clear upper tier of the cornerback market with Ramsey and Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II ($24 million per year), and then there’s everyone else.

The second-highest paid corner after Ramsey and PS2 is Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers, who earns $21 million per season. season.

Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts Cumulus Media’s morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.