New York Jets Playmaker Projected to Break the Bank, Reset The Market

Since being chosen by the Jets with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Gardner has already logged 132 total tackles and intercepted two passes, but, what’s more impressive is how rarely quarterbacks even throw his direction.

As Pro Football Focus points out, Gardner was only targeted 124 times through his first two seasons, and, in 2023 quarterbacks posted a meager 76.5 passer rating when throwing his direction.

While Gardner is still not eligible for a new contract until next offseason, his new deal has the chance to make him the highest-paid cornerback in the league.

New York Jets CB Sauce Gardner’s Market Value Revealed

On the heels of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreeing to terms on a deal with Antoine Winfield making the dominant safety the highest-paid defensive back in the league, Gardner’s deal has the chance to ultimately eclipse it.

Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton put together a list ranking the highest-paid players at each position, including a value projection for the extension Gardner will eventually sign,

Moton suggests Gardner’s deal could come in at $110 million, over five years, including $75 million fully guaranteed. By comparison, Winfield’s extension is a four-year pact worth $84 million with $45 million guaranteed.

“Gardner led the NFL in pass breakups in his rookie year,” Moton Writes for B/R. “And he’s allowed a passer rating of 80.3 or below and a completion rate of 56.4 percent or less in both of his seasons.

While skeptics can nitpick his lack of takeaways, no other NFL cornerback has been more accomplished than him in a short period. He seems well on his way to a decorated career. If Gardner continues to play at this level in the upcoming campaign, he’s going to get a massive salary raise.”

Gardner has the luxury of playing one of the true premium positions in the sport, and the talent to continue to play at a dominant level, justifying a mega-deal.

The Jets are projected to potentially have upwards of $178.8 million in cap space in 2026, so, Gardner figures to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of New York’s significant spending flexibility.