The New York Jets have a superstar in the secondary, and they will keep him around for years to come.
They made Sauce Gardner the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, giving him a four-year contract extension worth $120.4 million.
As shown by PFF on X, Gardner has earned every penny of that new deal.
Since he entered the league as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, he has led all cornerbacks in PFF grade (90.7), forced incompletions (43) and completion rate allowed (50.9%).
Sauce Gardner among CBs since entering the league
🥫 90.7 PFF Grade (1st)
🥫 43 forced incompletions (T-1st)
🥫 50.9% completion rate allowed (1st)The new highest-paid CB in NFL history 💰 pic.twitter.com/JgkGg4am09
— PFF (@PFF) July 15, 2025
Gardner is coming off a somewhat down year by his standards, yet he was still stellar.
He topped Derek Stingley Jr.’s historic deal with the Houston Texans at an average of $30.1 million per season.
Gardner has two years left on his rookie contract, including his fifth-year option.
He joined fellow 2022 first-round pick Garrett Wilson, a wide receiver who also recently signed a lucrative extension.
Gardner won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he’s the only cornerback since the merger to receive two All-Pro selections in as many seasons in the league, joining Micah Parsons and Lawrence Taylor as the only defensive players in NFL history to do so.
Now, with a new regime in New York, Gardner will be under a lot of pressure to live up to his huge contract extension.
NEXT: Garrett Wilson Reveals Honest Thoughts On Contract Extension