New York Jets cornerback and two-time All-Professional Sauce Gardner is now extension-eligible. On that word, how have extension talks with the Jets fared this offseason?
“I really feel fairly good about how the [extension] talks have been going,” Gardner mentioned on Thursday, in keeping with The Athletic.
New York chosen Gardner, who has been current for obligatory minicamp, with the No. 4 decide within the 2022 NFL Draft out of Cincinnati, with the cornerback happening to be the 2022 Defensive Rookie of the 12 months; he totaled two interceptions and an NFL-high 20 passes defended. Gardner was one in every of three first-round choices for the Jets in 2022, with huge receiver and No. 10 decide Garrett Wilson profitable 2022 Offensive Rookie of the 12 months honors.
Linebacker Jermaine Johnson, who had 7.5 sacks and was a Professional Bowler in 2023 however noticed his 2024 marketing campaign finish after two video games attributable to a torn Achilles tendon, was the staff’s third 2022 first-round choice at decide No. 26. The Jets picked up the fifth-year choices on Gardner, Wilson and Johnson in April.
Final season, Gardner totaled one interception, 9 passes defended and 49 mixed tackles in 15 video games; he missed two video games attributable to a hamstring damage. Gardner ranked thirteenth amongst cornerbacks with a 78.5 pass-rush grade, thirty fourth with a 73.1 protection grade, forty seventh with a 70.2 total grade and 167th with a 53.6 run-defense grade, in keeping with Professional Soccer Focus.
Whereas the Jets are coming off a five-win season, their move protection was one of many vivid spots from an in any other case ugly 2024 marketing campaign, as they surrendered simply 192.6 passing yards per sport, good for fourth within the NFL. They’ve a brand new head coach in former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator and former Jets Professional Bowl cornerback and first-round draft decide Aaron Glenn.
The Jets misplaced cornerback D.J. Reed to the Lions on a three-year, $48 million deal in free company, which they countered by bringing in former Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens on a three-year, $36 million deal.
Sticking on the contractual entrance, Derek Stingley Jr. (three-year, $90 million cope with the Houston Texans, $30 million common annual wage) and Jaycee Horn (four-year, $100 million cope with the Carolina Panthers, $25 million common annual wage) grew to become the brand new highest-paid NFL cornerbacks earlier this offseason. Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward nonetheless has essentially the most mixed cash amongst cornerbacks with a five-year, $100.5 million deal, which he signed within the 2022 offseason.
Need nice tales delivered proper to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports activities account, and observe leagues, groups and gamers to obtain a personalised publication day by day!
Get extra from Nationwide Soccer League Observe your favorites to get details about video games, information and extra
Support Greater and Subscribe to view content
This is premium stuff. Subscribe to read the entire article.