The New York Jets have two of the league's best young talents in wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner . While the organization wants to extend both star playmakers, it will come at a very high cost based on Gardner's reported asking price.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes that Gardner is expected to use the Derek Stingler Jr contract as a baseline for his deal with New York , which would mean making him by far one of the highest-paid NFL players at his position.
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The Houston Texans signed Stingley Jr., the third overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, to a three-year extension worth $90 million total. Stingley's $30 million average annual salary is $5 million more than Jaycee Horn 's salary, who is the second-highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. Currently, only four cornerbacks have a $24-plus million AAV.
Gardner, age 24, is coming off a career-worst season. After earning first-team All-Pro honors in consecutive seasons, the 6-foot-3 cornerback dealt with inconsistency. In addition, his tackling became such an issue that he was taken off the field at times.
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Sauce Gardner stats (2024):86.9 QB rating, 541 receiving yards, 15.4 yards per completion allowed on 58 targets in 15 games
New York is very hopeful that a new regime will help Gardner return to form. First-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn coached defensive backs from 2014 to 2020 with the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints . Glenn's scheme could also benefit Gardner.
Between the extensions for Gardner and Wilson, the Jets would likely be investing upwards of $60 million per season into their top cornerback and wide receiver. It's an expensive price to pay for a team that still needs to find a franchise quarterback, but it's the cost of doing business for two positions that have become increasingly more important in the modern NFL.
