Sauce Gardner will embark on his fourth season with the New York Jets with many more expected in his future.
The fourth-overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft agreed to terms on a four-year, $120.4 million deal with New York — including $60 million in new money guarantees — NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday. At an average of $30.1 million per year, Gardner becomes the highest-paid corner in NFL history with the new contract, which locks him in through 2030.
Gardner burst onto the scene as a rookie, leading the NFL in passes defensed (20) and earning AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in runaway fashion while also garnering some Defensive Player of the Year votes in the process. He was named a first-team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons, and while Gardner didn’t enjoy the same success in a tumultuous 2024 season that saw him commit a career-high 10 penalties, New York’s new regime had already seen enough to invest significantly in the Cincinnati product, who owns the highest Pro Football Focus coverage grade among NFL corners since 2022.