Sauce Gardner

Colts CB Sauce Gardner Suffers Calf Strain

December 3rd, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 3: The Colts aren’t expected to place Gardner on IR, according to Rapoport and Pelissero. The team is hopeful he’ll return sometime in the next four weeks.

DECEMBER 1: With the MRI having taken place, Pelissero and colleague Ian Rapoport confirm Gardner suffered a calf strain. He is week-to-week as a result, with the Colts hoping Gardner will be able to return by the end of the regular season.

NOVEMBER 30: Sauce Gardner exited the Colts’ Week 13 game and was unable to return. The high-profile trade acquisition could be in store for missed time, although the worst-case scenario appears to have been avoided.

Gardner was unable to put weight on his left leg as he made his way to the sidelines upon suffering the injury. He was initially listed by the team as questionable to return with a calf ailment, but the Colts later confirmed he was out for the remainder of Sunday’s contest. Gardner was in a walking boot on the sidelines as he watched the end of the game.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports a calf strain is believed to have occurred in this case. Critically, he adds Gardner’s Achilles appears to be intact. The All-Pro corner has since confirmed (via ESPN’s Stephen Holder) he feels he is dealing with a strain rather than a tear of any kind. Further testing will take place, including an MRI. At this point, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Colts expect to be without Gardner for “a couple weeks.”

Needless to say, any notable missed time for Gardner would represent a major blow to the Colts. Indianapolis gave the Jets two first-round picks along with receiver Adonai Mitchell to acquire him at the trade deadline. The 25-year-old – under contract at a record-breaking cornerback rate of $30.1MM per year through the 2030 season – is obviously a major part of the team’s plans now and for several years to come.

The Gardner acquisition has been viewed as an indication the Colts see themselves as being inside a Super Bowl window with a core of many returning players along with free agent signing Daniel Jones. Indianapolis’ new starting quarterback is not full healthy himself, although he is in line to continue playing through a fractured fibula. A run of availability in the secondary down the stretch would be welcomed by the Colts given the injuries they have dealt with in that department this season.

Indianapolis’ loss on Sunday dropped the team to 8-4. That record matches that of the Jaguars, who won today. Meanwhile, the Texans now sit at 7-5. Gardner’s health down the stretch will be something to watch closely as the Colts attempt to close out what has become a three-way race for top spot in the AFC South.

Latest On Sauce Gardner Trade; Jets HC Aaron Glenn’s Job Is Safe

November 9th, 2025 at 12:22pm CST by Rory Parks

The Jets’ deadline trade sending cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts in exchange for a 2026 first-rounder, a 2027 first-rounder, and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell caught many by surprise. However, the foundation for those types of deals is typically laid well in advance of the agreement itself. That is exactly what happened here, as multiple reporters, including Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic (subscription required), detail that the framework of the Gardner deal – and the other swaps New York made – began to take shape in Week 4.

At that time, GM Darren Mougey and his staff began to hold weekly meetings to discuss, among other things, the trade value of each player on the roster. The idea was to avoid recency bias as the November 4 deadline approached and other clubs began making trade offers.

So, although ESPN’s Rich Cimini says the Jets never intended to move Gardner – whom they signed to a four-year, $120.4MM contract extension in July – they did establish what it would take to consider trading him if an offer came in. Per Cimini and Albert Breer of SI.com, that price was indeed two first-rounders and a quality player.

After the Colts’ Week 6 victory over the Cardinals improved their record to 5-1, Breer says Indianapolis’ assistant GM, Ed Dodds, placed calls around the league seeking CB help (Charvarius Ward suffered a concussion prior to the Arizona contest and landed on injured reserve as a result, and rookie Justin Walley sustained a season-ending ACL tear in August). Dodds’ efforts led him to Mougey, who indicated he would listen to offers on anyone on the roster, even if he was not actively looking to trade certain players.

Mougey and Colts GM Chris Ballard then discussed the possibility of a Gardner trade. While Cimini says Ballard initially balked at the asking price, Mougey himself noted Indianapolis’ offers “kept getting richer and richer.” The Colts inquired on the Giants’ Deonte Banks (per Cimini) and the Saints’ Alontae Taylor (as previously reported), but Gardner is on an entirely different tier.

As Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon put it during a conversation with Ballard on the eve of the deadline, “[d]o you want to Band-Aid [the cornerback position] or fix it for the long-term?” (via Breer). When Ballard explained how valuable Gardner could be, particularly considering the importance of CBs in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s scheme, Irsay-Gordon agreed the long-term fix was the right choice.

According to Cimini, the Jets were emphatic about including Mitchell in the trade. Breer adds Indianapolis grew increasingly amenable to moving the 2024 second-rounder, who had become an afterthought in the team’s offense. With the Jets high on Mitchell and the Colts prepared to move on, all of the pieces for the Gardner trade were in place.

Of course, Gardner was not the only elite defender Mougey jettisoned at the deadline. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was sent to the Cowboys in a swap that netted the Jets DT Mazi Smith, a 2026 second-rounder, and the higher of Dallas’ two 2027 first-rounders. Per Breer, Mougey knew the Cowboys would not give back everything they had gotten in the offseason Micah Parsons trade, which is one of the reasons why the GM began to consider a first-rounder in 2027 instead of 2026. The other reason is that he and his staff believe the ‘27 draft class offers more promise than the ‘26 crop. Now, thanks to the Gardner and Williams deals, the Jets have three first-round selections (including their own) in a year they consider to be rife with quality prospects.

Both Brian Costello of the New York Post and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network write that head coach Aaron Glenn was heavily involved in the trade discussions, which bolsters Rapoport’s report that Glenn will not be a one-and-done coach. Owner Woody Johnson recently called Glenn “the real deal,” and sources tell Rapoport that Glenn will not be judged by the Jets’ 2025 record and will be given a chance to guide the club through its rebuild.

Johnson has a history of being something of a meddlesome owner, but Cimini suggests that was not the case at this year’s deadline. Instead, when his first-year GM and HC told him of the plan to trade Gardner mere months after authorizing a lucrative extension for him, Johnson simply reaffirmed his faith in his top power brokers.

Colts Pursued Saints CB Alontae Taylor

November 5th, 2025 at 2:07pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Colts entered Tuesday determined to address an injury-riddled cornerback group before the trade deadline, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. General manager Chris Ballard succeeded in pulling off a pre-deadline stunner, acquiring star corner Sauce Gardner from the Jets for two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.

The Jets unexpectedly parted with Gardner just a handful of months after inking him to a four-year, $120.1MM extension in July. Had the Jets gone forward with Gardner as a member of their core, the Colts may have had a far less splashy contingency plan in Saints corner Alontae Taylor. The Colts had interest in Taylor, per Fowler, who’s of the belief the 26-year-old could have wound up in Indianapolis had it failed to reel in Gardner.

Taylor drew interest from multiple clubs leading up to the deadline, but New Orleans didn’t find an offer to its liking. One team in the market for help at corner told Fowler the Saints wanted an early Day 3 pick for Taylor, a pending free agent.

A report last week indicated the Saints were seeking a Day 2 pick for Taylor. They may have dropped their price in hopes of finding a taker. Regardless, no one bit, leaving Taylor to finish 2025 with the Saints before a potential trip to the open market.

With Gardner now in the fold, the plan is for him and Charvarius Ward to eventually comprise the Colts’ long-term one-two punch at corner. Ward has been on IR with a concussion since Oct. 18, though, and will miss this Sunday’s game in Berlin against the Falcons.

Gardner is also dealing with a concussion, which kept him out of the Jets’ win over the Bengals in Week 8, but he’ll practice on Wednesday (via Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com). Head coach Shane Steichen said “the plan” is for Gardner to make his Colts debut this week if he clears concussion protocol. With the Jets on a bye last week, Gardner hasn’t suited up since Oct. 19.

Jets Trade CB Sauce Gardner To Colts

November 4th, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts have been in the market for cornerback help; they are not skimping on price. A deal is in place that will send Sauce Gardner from New York to Indianapolis, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

The Jets will move on months after making Gardner the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback. Indianapolis will send two first-round picks to the Jets for Gardner, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Gardner already thanked the Jets (via X), as his through-2030 contract is moving to the Colts’ payroll. The picks are in 2026 and 2027.

Indianapolis was believed to be discussing a deal with another team, according to Fox’s Jay Glazer, who adds the Colts believed they had a separate trade done. That proved not to be the case. This unknown agreement falling through has led to one of the biggest DB trades in NFL history going down. Glazer adds wide receiver Adonai Mitchell is going back to the Jets in this trade. We heard earlier today Mitchell, who had been a Colts backup, was drawing trade interest. The Jets are picking up a wideout with team control through 2027.

This is a wildly out-of-character move for Colts GM Chris Ballard, who has shied away from pricey outside acquisitions during his nine-year tenure. But this offseason brought a shift. Ballard made good on a promise to be more open to outside spending, paying up for Charvarius Ward and Camryn Bynum. Indianapolis, which already has Kenny Moore on a high-end slot CB contract, has now flooded its secondary with expensive contracts.

Other teams called the Jets on Gardner, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz. It had appeared Gardner was untouchable, as the Jets had extended him in July. But the 1-7 team will aggressively lean into a rebuild, with the two first-rounders becoming lead assets in the Aaron Glenn-Darren Mougey regime’s effort to return the Jets to contention. Gardner is believed to have been stunned by this trade, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, who indicates the young corner learned of it shortly after noon ET today. He is certainly not the only one shocked by the Jets’ course change here.

Gardner and Garrett Wilson loomed as the top pieces to trade, if the Jets were serious about obtaining top draft capital, but lower-level moves — like deals involving Michael Carter II, Quincy Williams and Allen Lazard — were rumored. The team was believed to be listening on Quinnen Williams, but a trade is not viewed as likely. Now, however, the Jets certainly appear more open to blowing it up.

The Jets drafted Gardner fourth overall in 2022 and watched the Cincinnati alum become a central piece in a defensive turnaround. Robert Saleh‘s first defense ranked last; his second, with Gardner as a boundary stopper, rocketed to fourth. Other reasons existed for the ascent, but Gardner represented the biggest variable. Gardner soared to first-team All-Pro acclaim during his first two seasons, becoming one of the NFL’s premier cornerbacks. That did not result in Jets wins, but Joe Douglas‘ miss on Zach Wilson limited a well-built defense’s impact.

Gardner, 25, also did not match his 2022-23 form during the ’24 season. The physical corner, who has a reputation for being overly physical at points, graded as a top-three cornerback (per Pro Football Focus) in 2022 and ’23. PFF slotted him 31st in 2024 and ranks him 22nd this year. Glenn’s arrival brought a new system for Gardner to learn, and the new HC will retool at corner. The Jets extended Carter last year and let longtime No. 2 corner D.J. Reed walk in free agency. Now, Carter (traded to the Eagles) and Gardner is gone, fully dismantling Douglas’ CB trio.

Though, trading a slot corner in a Day 3 pick-swap exchange is obviously much different from dealing away a prime perimeter stopper for two first-round picks. The Jets, however, have benefited from a similar move in the fairly recent past. As Douglas’ 2020 negotiations with Jamal Adams were not starting well, the then-second-year GM flipped the All-Pro safety to the Seahawks for two first-rounders, a third and safety Bradley McDougald. Douglas ended up winning that trade, with Adams not coming especially close to justifying his then-safety-record Seattle extension. The Seahawks cut bait during that deal, and the Jets stocked their roster with the two firsts.

Prior to the Adams swap, the Jets also traded Darrelle Revis to the Buccaneers in 2013. The team fetched first- and fourth-rounders for the future Hall of Famer, whom the team had extended in 201o. Revis scored another contract with the Bucs, and the Jets drafted Sheldon Richardson with the first-rounder obtained. Gardner commanding more in a trade return than Revis is less indicative of talent and more tied to his age. Revis was going into an age-28 season at the time of the trade. Gardner will finish out his age-25 campaign with the Colts.

The Jets traded up for Alijah Vera-Tucker with the first of the Adams picks and acquired Wilson with the second first-rounder. Wilson joined Gardner in being extended this offseason. While Wilson was believed to be unhappy as the Aaron Rodgers period waned, Gardner was never connected to any trade rumors. Even as the rumors of Woody Johnson meddling piled up last year, Gardner expressed interest in being a long-term Jet. But the team’s new regime found an offer it couldn’t refuse.

Indianapolis is taking on a $30.1MM-per-year CB extension, doing so after giving Ward a three-year, $48MM deal in March. Both these moves deviate from Ballard’s M.O. at this position. For a while, Moore had been the Colts’ only high-priced CB — and the slot market is well south of the top perimeter deals — excepting Stephon Gilmore‘s one-and-done with the team. The team has changed its stripes and will take on a contract filled with option bonuses.

Despite Patrick Surtain‘s Defensive Player of the Year season, the CB market moved past his $24MM-per-year deal signed last September. Jaycee Horn, Derek Stingley and Gardner eclipsed the star Denver defender. Stingley’s $30MM-AAV accord set up Gardner to pass him, and the Jets OK’d it. For the team to move on after eight games is a shocking development, as a third Jets regime will bail on a standout DB early in his tenure. John Idzik traded Revis, while Douglas unloaded Adams. Mougey will make his mark on the Jets’ roster by shipping out Gardner in-season.

Gardner’s deal only carries a $13.75MM signing bonus, making it easier to trade. Rather than the Jets drowning in dead money by trading a player they just paid, the Colts will be on the hook for a $20MM option bonus in 2026, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes. The Jets are only being hit with $19.75MM in dead cap (per Spotrac), which will be spread out through 2027 because of this trade occurring after June 1. While it represents a risk to give up on a player so soon, the Jets’ current regime set up a potential trade with this contract structure. And it found a taker in the Colts, who are likely among the many teams high on the accomplished corner.

The former top-five pick joins a Colts team that has struggled to staff its CB spots. Ward joins third-round rookie Justin Walley on IR, having suffered a concussion in a pregame workout. Ward is expected back, while Walley is out for the season. The Colts just activated Jaylon Jones, however. Jones joined trade pickup Mekhi Blackmon, Cameron Mitchell and rookie UDFA Johnathan Edwards in an unimposing contingent of outside CBs. Gardner changes that equation.

When Ward returns, the Colts can deploy a Gardner-Ward-Moore trio — one that will be among the NFL’s best if all parties play to their capabilities — and be much better-positioned at the position. The team struggled at the non-Moore CB spots, as JuJu Brents could not stay healthy and a gambling suspension ended Isaiah Rodgers‘ Indianapolis tenure, during Gus Bradley‘s final seasons. Lou Anarumo now has a crucial chess piece, as the Colts look to challenge for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

The Colts sit a surprising 7-2, having seen their offense — prior to a step backward in Pittsburgh — dominate, having scored more points through eight games than any post-merger team in franchise history. The Colts rank first in scoring and seventh in points allowed. Indy’s defensive strength comes through its rush deterrence, however; the team ranks 26th against the pass.

Indianapolis sought CB and EDGE help at the deadline. Part one of that mission is complete, albeit at a far pricier cost than anticipated, and it will be interesting to see if the Colts call it a day or still add at defensive end.

Gardner’s contract hitting the payroll is also interesting for a Colts team that has seen Daniel Jones deliver a bounce-back start to the season. The Colts may no longer be in the low-cost contract business at QB come 2026, should Jones keep going en route to another raise (one the team appears open to), so adding the NFL’s biggest DB contract introduces a complication.

Ballard has been a homegrown-centric GM, to a fault almost, during his tenure. Though, Ballard and HC Shane Steichen certainly faced pressure coming into the season. They are far more committed to this year’s roster than they were entering Tuesday. It will be fascinating to see how the veteran GM manages the roster moving forward, now that he has taken the biggest swing in his executive career.

Mitchell had competed with Alec Pierce for a starting role in 2024, seeing Anthony Richardson‘s accuracy issues make his rookie season harder to evaluate. The former Georgia and Texas pass catcher did post 23 receptions for 312 yards as a rookie. With Tyler Warren entering the fray this offseason, Mitchell had faded to a deep background piece. He has only caught two passes since October began.

Also becoming the second Colt to lose a touchdown by inexplicably dropping the ball on the 1-yard line in two years (after Jonathan Taylor did the same in 2024), Mitchell was viewed as the culprit in the team’s one-score loss to the Rams in Week 4. A holding call on Mitchell negated a Taylor TD in that seven-point defeat. But Mitchell is a second-round pick signed through 2027. The Jets will take what amounts to a flier. More playing time should be expected, as the Jets do not have much of note beyond Garrett Wilson at receiver.

Jets’ Trade Deadline Aftermath

November 4th, 2025 at 10:22pm CST by Ely Allen

The two biggest moves of today’s trade deadline saw the Jets send away two former top-four overall picks in defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner. Many are billing the moves as a teardown of the roster en route to a rebuild, and first-year general manager Darren Mougey has put his team in as good a position as possible to stage an epic rebuild.

Trading Williams and Gardner was not necessarily part of the plan, but according to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the Jets were given “offers they could not refuse.” A crucial part of one of today’s trades actually occurred back 112 days ago, when Gardner signed his four-year, $120.4MM extension. Mougey told the media of the strategies that made his trade possible.

“We had a lot of discussions going through that contract process and some of the details we had to have in that contract because you never know how the future is going to unfold,” Mougey said (via Costello). “We always wanted to be in position to potentially trade these contracts.”

The deals took a lot of talent away from a team that has struggled mightily in 2025, even with those stars, but they also brought incredible potential for team improvement. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport credited Mougey for his willingness to hold out throughout the leadup to the trade deadline. As offers continued to pour in with increasing intensity of interest, Mougey held firm, showing teams that he wouldn’t give up his top-tier assets unless serious offers were made. Mougey told reporters that as “Indianapolis kept getting richer and richer” with the value of their offer, it became too good to pass up.

Altogether, the new draft picks acquired in the trades give New York five first-round picks over the next two years — two in 2026 and three in 2027 — and three second-round picks, not to mention the supplemental additions of former first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith and former second-round receiver Adonai Mitchell. Additionally, Costello reports that, in exchange for taking on $43MM in dead money this season for the trade, “the Jets are projected to have about $117MM in salary cap space” to utilize in free agency.

They didn’t trade away everyone, though. Obviously, they made it clear wide receiver Garrett Wilson wasn’t going anywhere, but the team tried and failed to find new homes for outside linebacker Jermaine Johnson, running back Breece Hall, and linebacker Quincy Williams before the deadline. Some of the issues keeping these trades from happening came down to Mougey’s demand for value.

Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reports that the Bears and 49ers made serious attempts to acquire Johnson, but both teams pivoted as New York stood pat on their second-round demand. Fellow FOX Sports reporter Ralph Vacchiano claimed little surprise that the Jets kept Johnson over the second-round offers that reportedly did come their way, pointing to the team having already exercised his fifth-year option as evidence that they were less willing to let him go.

Another factor restricting the options available to deal the remaining players came down to competition. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, other “AFC East teams reached out to the Jets about potential deals, but New York was reluctant to trade with division rivals.”

Costello points out that, at this point in time, the oldest draft picks remaining on the Jets’ roster hail from the 2021 draft class and only long snapper Thomas Hennessy, the longest-tenured player on the team, dates back before that. The team is full of youth, and Mougey has set up multiple strong avenues with which he can continue to build around the remaining talent. All that’s left to see is whether or not Mougey can do a better job of building a team than his predecessors who put him in this position.

Jets, CB Sauce Gardner Agree On Extension

July 17th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Nikhil Mehta

JULY 17: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes Gardner’s locked in compensation includes a $13.75MM signing bonus along with annual workout and roster bonuses (many of which are guaranteed upfront or are set to vest one year early). His base salaries in 2025 ($1.25MM) and ’26 ($5.25MM) are locked in. A $20MM 2026 option bonus is included and is guaranteed in full; the 2027 option bonus ($10MM) is guaranteed for injury and shifts to a full guarantee one year early. The same is true of Gardner’s base salaries for 2027 ($13.95MM) and ’28 ($19.2MM). His pay for the final two years of the pact is not guaranteed.

JULY 15: One day after extending star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the Jets are signing All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to a four-year, $120.4MM contract extension, per Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo, and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Gardner himself announced on social media that an agreement had been reached. His deal has the same structure as Wilson’s extension, per Schefter.

With a $30.1MM AAV, Gardner is now the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, beating out the $30MM per year deal signed by fellow 2022 first-rounder Derek Stingley Jr. earlier this year. However, Gardner’s $85.653MM in total guarantees (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) do not quite reach Stingley’s $89MM.

It will be interesting to see where the full guarantees fall here; Stingley holds that standard — with $48MM — as well. Gardner agreeing to a four-year deal should allow him to eclipse that number, as Stingley is tied to a three-year extension.

The Jets have now spent $250MM in the last two days to lock down cornerstone players on both sides of the ball in a solid start for new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey. Past offseasons in New York have been marked by quarterback drama and contract standoffs with key veterans, but the new regime avoided such pitfalls by signing Justin Fields early in free agency and getting the Wilson and Gardner extensions done before training camp.

Mougey has now been part of two record-setting cornerback extensions since September. The former Broncos assistant GM was in place when the team inked Patrick Surtain on a then-record $24MM-per-year deal. Despite Surtain’s Defensive Player of the Year season, he has already fallen to fifth in the cornerback pecking order. This effectively illustrates timing, rather than merit, reigns in NFL contract matters. Gardner and Stingley do owe Surtain for breaking through the ice formed over a two-plus-year period in this market.

Prior to Surtain’s agreement, the CB market had not seen anyone top Jaire Alexander‘s four-year, $84MM Packers pact — one agreed to in May 2022. Corners have seen wide receivers move into a higher tax bracket over the past several years, and even safeties — via Antoine Winfield Jr.‘s four-year, $84.1MM accord — had passed them by last year. But Surtain’s contract brought a thaw, and Jalen Ramsey‘s third contract — one already traded — came a day after the standout Broncos defender’s deal emerged.

This offseason then brought Jaycee Horn to the $25MM-per-year level. The Panthers cover man reached that place despite no All-Pro honors (to Surtain’s two). But the salary cap having jumped by another $24MM, after a record $30.6MM spike in 2024, set the stage for an overdue market boom. After all, Ja’Marr Chase elevated the WR ceiling past $40MM per year in March. Stingley and Gardner have made significant inroads for their position, creating a new tier in terms of AAV this year.

Gardner benefited by waiting, and he can perhaps owe that to the Jets changing regimes this offseason. But his rookie-contract play warranted a substantial commitment. The former No. 4 overall pick arrived under Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh‘s watch and played a lead role in vaulting the Jets’ defense — a last-ranked unit in 2021 — to fourth place (in scoring and yardage) in 2022. The physical corner earned first-team All-Pro honors for his work as a rookie, and he matched that showing in 2023.

Pro Football Focus ranked Gardner first and third among CB regulars in 2022 and ’23, respectively, but observed a drop-off in 2024. Although Gardner checked in 31st on the advanced metrics website’s list last year, issues with his tackling were apparent during a season that saw Jeff Ulbrich‘s defense take a step back (20th in points allowed). Gardner saw his yards-per-target number rise from 6.0 to 9.3 from 2023 to ’24 — a non-Pro Bowl season — creating a rebound opportunity under Glenn. But Tuesday’s agreement showed the Jets’ new power brokers did not need to see how Gardner fit into Glenn’s defense before making a historic commitment.

The Jets had never wavered from their plan to pay Gardner, having let D.J. Reed walk in free agency (after extending Michael Carter at the lower slot rate), and the team eyed the post-draft period as the window for true negotiations. Gardner had expressed interest in remaining a Jet long term, and the team had made an offer by mid-June. Although Mougey and Glenn brought in Brandon Stephens at $12MM per annum in March, the team will not let Gardner come close to a contract year. This is now the NFL’s only team with three eight-figure-per-year corners on the payroll.

New York had cooled on paying CBs since its whiffs on Darrelle Revis (the second stint) and Trumaine Johnson. But Gardner’s early-career form meant that pattern needed to end. The team’s chaotic 2024 has preceded a calmer ’25, as Aaron Rodgers is out and news of Woody Johnson meddling has drifted off the front burner. Wilson and Gardner’s paydays signal a willingness to reward Douglas-era draftees, and the moves leave Jermaine Johnson — who is coming off a season-ending injury — as the only member of the Jets’ 2022 first-round trio still on a rookie deal. Post-Rodgers, Wilson and Gardner will be asked to be the franchise’s centerpiece players as it attempts to end the NFL’s longest active playoff drought.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Jets CB Sauce Gardner Encouraged By Extension Talks; Team Has Made Offer To Gardner, WR Garrett Wilson

June 15th, 2025 at 9:19am CST by Adam La Rose

JUNE 15: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms that the Jets have made offers to both Gardner and Wilson (video link). The players have likewise presented numbers to the club, so both sides now know exactly how much of a gap there is to bridge.

Gang Green now has the fourth-most salary cap space in the league ($38MM) after its post-June 1 cuts took effect, as well as the NFL’s lowest cash payroll ($228MM). As such, Cimini believes at least one of the Gardner/Wilson duo will have a new contract in hand by the time the regular season gets underway.

JUNE 12: Negotiations on a long-term extension with Garrett Wilson have begun. The Jets have another monster deal looming with respect to Sauce Gardner, and talks on that front have apparently been positive so far.

Both 2022 first-rounders are now eligible for an extension at any time. As expected, the Jets’ new regime picked up Wilson and Gardner’s fifth-year options, tying them to the team through 2026 by doing so. Of course, it would come as no surprise if one or both were to have a long-term pact in hand well before their rookie deals expire.

Gardner attended this week’s minicamp against the backdrop of extension talks taking place, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. That is in line with most players around the league, of course, but like every year 2025 has seen some angling for a new deal remain away from their teams. Gardner being present is of course a positive sign regarding the nature of contract negotiations.

“I just wanted to show my teammates, my coaches how much I want to win,” the former Defensive Player of the Year said when speaking to the media on Thursday (via Russini’s colleague Zack Rosenblatt). “I want to be part of change in the organization.”

Gardner added he feels “pretty good” about the current state of extension talks (h/t Rosenblatt). As things stand, the two-time All-Pro is due $20.19MM in 2026. The top of the corner market now sits at $30MM annually, though, and that represents a logical benchmark for negotiations in this case. Gardner, 24, racked up 31 pass deflections across his first two seasons in the league. He experienced a drop in production last year, but given his age and pedigree it would come as no surprise if he found himself as the league’s top-paid corner in the relatively near future.

Wilson is a clear priority for general manager Darren Mougey, head coach Aaron Glenn and Co. The same is not necessarily true of running back Breece Hall, although he has been assured of remaining in New York for 2025. Gardner will again play a key role in the team’s performance this year and beyond, and the Jets’ cap outlook will of course be greatly affected by any long-term agreement which is reached. Based on his comments, progress has been made on that front.

Players Interested In Olympic Flag Football

June 14th, 2025 at 5:59pm CST by Ely Allen

Since the announcement that the NFL’s ownership group would allow active NFL players to participate in the 2028 Summer Olympics’ flag football event, there’s been plenty of speculation on which players might find themselves representing the US of A. While Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes made it known that he had no intentions of playing, and Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill claimed he’d rather do track, there have been some players who have expressed interest.

If Team USA is looking for a quarterback, it needn’t look past last year’s MVP. According to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg, Bills quarterback Josh Allen is prepared to throw his hat in the ring. In a quote to the media, Allen made sure not to disrespect the current quarterbacks of the flag football community but claimed that he “would absolutely love to” play if the opportunity presented itself.

While we haven’t seen any other offensive weapons volunteer themselves to potentially play with Allen, Team USA has a few offers on defense. If they play their cards right, the country’s national flag football team could land the two cornerbacks that topped Pro Football Focus’s positional rankings in 2022.

The Jets released a video this week of star cornerback Sauce Gardner expressing his interest in playing. Gardner told reporters that he “definitely would be interested in…being able to play for (his) country.” The third-year cornerback had a relatively down year after two first-team All-Pro seasons to open his career, but I imagine Team USA would at least do their homework to see how he’d fit on the team.

If the Olympic team really wants to create a shutdown cornerback tandem, Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain has also offered his services. According to Luca Evans of The Denver Post, Surtain spoke at an event for his foundation earlier this month and told the media he has “definitely high interest” in playing, calling the possibility a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Ultimately, it’ll be a couple years before we truly know who all could be participating. Each team will be able to send one player to the flag football tryouts whenever they take place. At the moment, it sounds like Allen, Gardner, and Surtain are making bids to be the representatives from Buffalo, New York, and Denver.

Extension Talks Between Jets, WR Garrett Wilson Underway; CB Sauce Gardner Aiming For Record-Setting Deal

June 1st, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Rory Parks

An April report indicated the Jets would explore extensions for 2022 first-rounders Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson (along with 2021 first-round choice Alijah Vera-Tucker) after the 2025 draft. Now that the draft is over, it is fair to expect those talks to get underway.

As for Wilson, ESPN’s Rich Cimini says negotiations are in the early stages, and he anticipates the discussions will become more involved in training camp. Prior reports noted it may be difficult for the parties to agree on the appropriate compensation for the wide receiver, because while he has put up strong numbers (three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons), his surface-level statistics would not seem to make him a candidate for a top-of-the-market accord.

On the other hand, Wilson’s talent is undeniable, and he has managed his production with poor-to-mediocre quarterback play. As such, Cimini believes the Ohio State product will be looking for a $30MM/year deal, which would effectively place him in a four-way tie with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyreek Hill, and Brandon Aiyuk for sixth place on the WR market (the average annual value on St. Brown’s contract is $30.0025MM).

Perceived tension with former QB Aaron Rodgers and a role impacted by 2024 trade acquisition Davante Adams seemed to put Wilson’s New York future in doubt not too long ago. However, Rodgers and Adams are gone, and Wilson recently expressed his desire to remain with the Jets for the rest of his career.

Gardner has echoed those sentiments, and Cimini confirms the two-time First Team All-Pro cornerback is, like his 2022 draftmate, looking to hit or exceed the $30MM/year threshold. In the case of the CB market, though, that AAV would make Gardner the highest-paid player at his position.

Cimini does not indicate whether Gardner negotiations have begun in earnest, but previous reports suggested talks with the 24-year-old defender are not expected to be as challenging as those with Wilson. Derek Stingley Jr. ’s three-year, $90MM pact with the Texans (featuring roughly $48MM in full guarantees) presently tops the cornerback hierarchy, and despite a regression last season, player and team understand Gardner will command at least that much (Cimini predictably confirms Gardner is using Stingley’s deal as his benchmark in extension discussions).

The Jets made the easy decision to exercise the fifth-year options for both players, and the fact that Gardner has earned two Pro Bowl berths in his young career placed him in the top bracket for such options. The transaction puts him in line for a fully-guaranteed $20.19MM salary in 2026, though it would not be surprising to see a record-setting contract in place well before then (especially given the importance of a true CB1 in new head coach Aaron Glenn’s man-heavy scheme). Wilson, meanwhile, has locked in a $16.82MM salary for 2025.

As Cimini observes, the Jets will be near the top of the league in cap space on June 2, when Rodgers and C.J. Mosley – both released with post-June 1 designations earlier this offseason – officially come off the books. Those moves will free up $22.8MM of room, so there will be plenty of financial flexibility to get deals done with Gardner and Wilson (and perhaps Vera-Tucker as well).

2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

May 1st, 2025 at 11:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
- At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
- A 75% snap average across all three seasons
- At least 50% in each of first three seasons
Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position

We covered how last year’s Pro Bowl invites affected the 2022 first-round class. With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the 2026 option decisions from around the league:

DE/OLB Travon Walker, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson, Lions ($19.87MM): Exercised
CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans ($17.6MM): Extended through 2029
CB Sauce Gardner, Jets ($20.19MM): Exercised
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants ($14.75MM): Exercised
T Ikem Ekwonu, Panthers ($17.56MM): Exercised
T Evan Neal, Giants ($16.69MM): Declined
WR Drake London, Falcons ($16.82MM): Exercised
T Charles Cross, Seahawks ($17.56MM): Exercised
WR Garrett Wilson, Jets ($16.82MM): Exercised
WR Chris Olave, Saints ($15.49MM): Exercised
WR Jameson Williams, Lions ($15.49MM): Exercised
DT Jordan Davis, Eagles ($12.94MM): Exercised
S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens ($18.6MM): Exercised
G Kenyon Green, Eagles* ($16.69MM): Declined
WR Jahan Dotson, Eagles** ($16.82MM): Declined
G Zion Johnson, Chargers ($17.56MM): Declined
WR Treylon Burks, Titans ($15.49MM): Declined
T Trevor Penning, Saints ($16.69MM): Declined
QB Kenny Pickett, Browns*** ($22.12MM): Declined
CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs ($13.63MM): Exercised
LB Quay Walker, Packers ($14.75MM): Declined
CB Kaiir Elam, Cowboys**** ($12.68MM): Declined
G Tyler Smith, Cowboys ($20.99MM): Exercised
C Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens ($20.99MM): Declined
DE Jermaine Johnson, Jets ($13.92MM): Exercised
LB Devin Lloyd, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
DT Devonte Wyatt, Packers ($12.94MM): Exercised
G Cole Strange, Patriots ($16.69MM): Declined
DE George Karlaftis, Chiefs ($15.12MM): Exercised
DB Dax Hill, Bengals ($12.68MM): Exercised
S Lewis Cine, Vikings: N/A

* = traded from Texans on March 11, 2025
** = traded from Commanders on August 22, 2024
*** = traded from Eagles on March 15, 2024; traded from Steelers on March 10, 2025
**** = traded from Bills to Cowboys on March 12, 2025

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