Analyst refuses to praise NY Jets for latest extensions

“Great, you stuck the landing a few years ago, you signed your players. I need to see some sort of progress,” said Brandt. “Anything other than ‘We signed guys, and we’re paying them a lot of money, and they’re good.’ We’ve had those guys; we know what they are like on the field, we know what you’re like with them on the field.

“I can’t do backflips here in New York City because Sauce and Garrett are signed,” he continued. “I will do backflips when they are actually playing in a game that matters in December, and it’s really time. So, great job, and I hate to be such a cynic, but it’s really time to start winning with those guys now that you’re paying them.”

Gardner, a two-time first-team All-Pro, inked a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. The deal includes $60 million in guaranteed money and has an average annual value (AAV) of $30.1 million.

As for Wilson, the Ohio State product signed a four-year $130 million deal, which includes $90 million in guarantees.

While the Jets have posted a disappointing 19–32 record since selecting Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson in the 2022 NFL draft, the duo has been among the team’s few bright spots. Rewarding homegrown talent after they’ve proven their worth is always a sound strategy, and general manager Darren Mougey did just that by locking up Gardner and Wilson.

Results are crucial, but securing two foundational stars gives New York their best chance to change the narrative.