Sauce Gardner is no more surprised by criticisms regarding his recent contract extension than he is concerned about them.
The Jets defender netted a four-year, $120.4 million deal on July 15, in the process becoming the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. Some have pointed out Gardner did so coming off his worst year as a pro, critiques that matter little to the fourth-year star.
"I'm Sauce," Gardner said Tuesday, via ESPN. "I mean that in the most humble way. Like no matter what I do, they're going to make a huge deal out of it. I can miss a tackle. There's a lot of people that miss tackles, but I just understand that I'm me. So people are just going to like blow things out of proportion."
The harsh spotlight of New York media has likely helped harden Gardner to any outside judgement, and while 2024 truly marked a step back from his first two NFL seasons, he previously established an impossibly high bar to repeat year in and year out.
He's also well aware through his own self-assessment that there are areas for improvement.
"Nobody's a bigger critic of me than myself, you know, so it's not something that throws me off guard because even though some people could say I'm being over-hated and stuff like that, I'm already so hard on myself," Gardner said.
Gardner led the league with 20 passes defensed as a rookie, collecting two interceptions and making 75 tackles on the way to a Pro Bowl, All-Pro selection and Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He made another Pro Bowl and All-Pro team his second season.
Last year, Gardner posted a 70.2 overall PFF defensive grade and 73.1 coverage grade, far off his 88.3 average defensive grade and 90.4 average coverage grade from 2022-23. He committed 10 penalties, which matched his career total before beginning the campaign.
Regardless, he's now entering his age-25 season, set to be in his prime for the entirety -- or, at the very least, the majority -- of his extension and remains a feared cover man throughout the NFL. His track record demands respect, and the Jets new brass of general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn acknowledged that by locking him into their turnaround plans.
"It's just great that the coaching staff and (Jets owner) Mr. (Woody) Johnson all believed in me because, despite what people say, they watched the tape," Gardner said. "I'm sure they watch every single play for my three years. That's what helped them come up with the idea that we're going to sign this guy to a long-term extension."
The Jets are, of course, a better team with Gardner, although they will certainly hope he makes the down year an anomaly rather than a trend as Glenn tries to make Gang Green a winner again.
New York's defense has gone from fourth in points allowed during Gardner's rookie year to 12th and then 20th. The Jets haven't reached the playoffs since the 2010 season, with Glenn now serving as the fourth full-time head coach since the Rex Ryan-led staff that got them there.
Impervious to concerns outside his own or those within the building, Gardner is confident he'll deliver that best version of himself.
"I know there's a floor, but there ain't no roof," he said. "Sky's the limit."
As Gardner gets back to work with the new label of top-paid CB, the Jets will hope those skies remain clear while embarking on a slump-busting playoff trip.
