Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner extensions mean so much more to the Jets than huge paydays for their stars

The extension makes Wilson the fifth-highest paid receiver on a per-year bases, just edging out A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles. He is only behind Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys and D.K. Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Do I think Wilson is the fifth-best receiver in the game? No. But I think he can be. This deal allows the Jets to give him that chance while wearing Gotham Green.

As for Sauce, there is no list of players who are making more than him at the cornerback position. He is now the highest-paid corner in the league. He surpasses Houston Texans star Derek Stingley Jr., who received a three-year, $90 million extension in March. Stingley was drafted third overall in 2022, one spot ahead of Gardner. It is not an accident that Sauce’s deal pays him $30.1 million a year while Stingley is making $30 million. Sauce wanted the world to know he is the best and be paid like it. Now he is.

These are two premium positions the Jets have locked up long term and both players are still entering their prime. We can quibble all day about whether Sauce is better than Stingley or Denver Broncos DB Pat Surtain, but Sauce is one of the best in the league and he was drafted by the Jets. The same goes for Garrett Wilson. Is he better than A.J. Brown? I don’t know. But this is what the market dictates you pay a player at this junction. This is how great organizations are run (I’m NOT calling the Jets a great organization). You draft a player, develop him and then pay him. Rinse and repeat.

Some will say both guys are overpaid, but with the salary cap increasing like it is every year, and the fact that these are contract extensions, meaning they don’t kick in for two years, both players might be considered to be underpaid by the time they expire in 2030.

These two signings are the best moves the Jets have made in years. They never let the negotiations get contentious like they did with Quinnen Williams. They didn’t wait until the last possible second to sign them like Jamien Sherwood. They took care of their guys. That goes a long way with players and how an organization is perceived.

The culture of the Jets won’t be changed overnight, but these moves and these players will certainly help point them in the right direction.