The New York Jets have signed star cornerback Sauce Gardner to a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
According to ESPN, the deal includes $85.7 million in guarantees and sets a new standard at the position with an average annual salary of $30.1 million.
Gardner’s extension follows wide receiver Garrett Wilson’s new contract, with the Jets securing both young stars through 2030. Gardner, 24, had two years left on his rookie deal but becomes the first Jets player under the current CBA to receive an extension in his first year of eligibility.
Drafted fourth overall in 2022, Gardner immediately lived up to expectations, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year and earning back-to-back first-team All-Pro selections. He joins Lawrence Taylor and Micah Parsons as the only defensive players since 1970 to earn that honour in their first two seasons.
The Jets’ new leadership duo of head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey have made retaining homegrown talent a priority, in contrast to previous regimes.
Gardner expressed his desire to stay with the team during minicamp, saying, “I want to change the organization.”
His performance dipped slightly in 2023 and 2024, ranking 13th and 47th in EPA/target among cornerbacks, but he remains central to the Jets’ defensive identity.
Gardner thanked his agent and the team on social media, writing, “this only the beginning,” as the Jets continue building around a core of young stars.
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