New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner recently secured the title of the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, following a significant contract extension. Despite this, a group of 70 NFL scouts, coaches, and executives involved in ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler’s 2025 rankings did not agree that Gardner is the best cornerback in the league.
Gardner’s 2024 season included an 83.3 passer rating allowed when targeted, with one touchdown given up and nine pass deflections on 51 targets. Pro Football Focus named him the top cornerback, but league insiders remain skeptical.
Gardner had a respectable 2024 season, holding quarterbacks to an 83.3 passer rating when targeted. He gave up one touchdown and recorded nine pass deflections on 51 targets. And Pro Football Focus recently named him the league’s top corner. This is not a sentiment the league shares,
—Jeremy Fowler, ESPN NFL Insider
An anonymous experienced AFC personnel official expressed concerns about Gardner’s performance, pointing to missed tackles and penalties, and a perception that Gardner underestimated the NFL’s difficulty level.
Needs a bounce-back year in 2025,
Lots of missed tackles and penalties, and didn’t make many plays last year. Too much, too soon, and thought the NFL was easy.
—Anonymous AFC Personnel Staffer
This critique coincides with Gardner falling from the No. 3 to the No. 5 cornerback in ESPN’s annual rankings.
Conflicting Evaluations from NFL Experts on Gardner’s Ability
Gardner remains a contentious figure within NFL circles. After breakout success in his rookie year, he was quickly talked about as one of the league’s elite corners and earned back-to-back All-Pro selections in 2022 and 2023. Even so, some evaluators have raised doubts about his consistency over the past two seasons.
Gardner remains one of the more polarizing players in the league. He reached superstardom as a rookie, wasting no time entering the conversation for the NFL’s best cornerback. He made back-to-back All-Pro teams from 2022-23, but some evaluators have had problems with his play for the past two seasons,
—Jeremy Fowler, ESPN NFL Insider
Views on Gardner’s rank vary widely, with some rating him as high as third-best and others placing him outside the top ten.
I like his game, really good feet, long, good at the catch point — but he was getting put in conversations that I didn’t think were legitimate or fair,
When I watch the film, I see a top-10 cornerback. I don’t see the top three.
—Anonymous Veteran NFL Defensive Coach
Despite differing opinions on his ranking, Gardner received a four-year contract worth $120.4 million, including $85.4 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
Earlier, Derek Stingley of the Houston Texans had set the bar with a three-year $90 million deal averaging $30 million per year. For Gardner, surpassing this figure was a key goal during contract negotiations.
Four years $120.4 million dollar contract extension. The .4 there actually very important because it was very important for Gardner to be the NFL’s new highest-paid cornerback. That is exactly what he now is. The APY of his contract, average per year, $30.1 million, exactly .1 million more per year than Derek Stingley, who was previously the NFL’s highest paid corner,
—Connor Hughes, SNY NFL Insider
Supporters Defend Gardner Amid Sharp Criticism
Gardner faces harsh criticism on social media whenever opposing receivers make catches against him, fueling a narrative that he is overrated. However, some insiders fervently dispute this.
In Sauce Gardner’s ‘down’ year, he allowed 1 touchdown and a completion percentage of 53.2 when targeted. Quarterbacks threw his way 47 times. The TD was tied for second-fewest (5 players allowed 0, 7 others allowed 1), and the completion percentage was 5th lowest, among CBs (outside & inside) to play at least 50% of their teams’ snaps (per PFF),
—Connor Hughes, SNY NFL Insider
You want more PBU, INT — absolutely. But this notion that he was some massive defensive liability is so painfully far from the truth,
I just can’t wrap my [head] around the hate this guy gets. Both as person & player — unwarranted. He earned every penny of that contract. Absolutely deserves to be [the] league’s highest paid.
—Connor Hughes, SNY NFL Insider
Gardner allowed just one touchdown in 2024 and opponents completed passes on only 53.2% of attempts directed at him, ranking him among the top corners for limiting completions and touchdowns.
Expectations Rise for Gardner’s 2025 Performance
Holding the top contract for cornerbacks brings intense scrutiny and heightened expectations on Sauce Gardner. As the New York Jets prepare for the 2025 season, fans, teammates, and coaching staff will look for noticeable improvement in his tackling, coverage skills, and playmaking consistency.
Although Gardner’s talent is undeniable, the challenges voiced by veterans and analysts highlight areas where he must prove he can sustain elite-level performance. His ability to meet these expectations may influence both his legacy and the Jets’ defensive success.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Does Sauce Gardner believe in God?
A. Sauce Gardner is devoted to his Christian faith and identifies as a child of God. These beliefs play a crucial role in his life and are symbolically represented on his gloves.
Q. Is Sauce Gardner still a jet?
A. The Jets and cornerback Sauce Gardner have settled on a four-year contract extension worth $120.4 million. This deal will mark Gardner’s fourth season with the New York Jets, and it’s expected that he will have many more seasons with the team ahead.
Q. Was Sauce Gardner a 5 star recruit?
A. Gardner was considered a solid three-star recruit from Detroit Martin Luther King High School, receiving All-State recognition. In his first college season, he made the All-AAC first team and was named Newcomer of the Year by the Cincinnati athletic department.