The New York Jets’ cornerback room got a couple of reinforcements this offseason so far with the additions of former Baltimore Ravens corner Brandon Stephens in free agency and Azareye’h Thomas in the third round of the 2025 National Football League Draft.
Although the Jets have made two additions, there’s a clear-cut No. 1 option still in the mix. 24-year-old superstar Sauce Gardner currently is under contract for the next two seasons but there already has been some buzz about the possibility of locking him up with a new contract extension. The Jets recently picked up his fifth-year option for the 2026 season but will they hand him a new deal?
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton shared a column predicting the “biggest NFL extension decisions” and projected the Jets will sign Gardner to a three-year, $94.5 million extension.
“Sauce Gardner is one of three first-rounders from the New York Jets’ 2022 draft class eligible for an extension,” Moton said. “In March, general manager Darren Mougey hinted that it was a priority to retain Gardner and wideout Garrett Wilson for the long term. ‘The to-do list is to keep good young players on the team and add good players, so yeah,’ (Darren Mougey) said. Some Jet fans may prefer the team wait on Gardner’s extension. After two All-Pro seasons, he had a solid 2024 campaign, recording nine pass breakups and an interception while allowing one touchdown and an 86.9 passer rating in coverage…
“Gardner’s agent can point to Jaycee Horn’s four-year, $100 million contract and make the case that his client deserves a little more than the Carolina Panthers cornerback, who has missed 31 career games, only made one Pro Bowl roster and has five interceptions in four seasons. SNY’s Connor Hughes noted that it sounds like extension talks for Gardner will be a post-draft topic for the Jets. So, the team could ramp up discussions with the fourth-year cornerback in the coming weeks. Verdict: Jets sign Gardner to a three-year, $94.5 million extension.”
Will a deal actually get done?
