Sauce Gardner Faces New Pressure as Jets Reset Under Aaron Glenn Ahead of Week 1 vs. Rodgers

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Cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner enters his fourth NFL season with elevated expectations under new leadership. After two standout years, including Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2022 and back-to-back first-team All-Pro selections, Gardner experienced a decline in 2024. He did not receive Pro Bowl or All-Pro recognition and ranked 47th out of 52 qualifying cornerbacks in EPA per target. His penalty count increased, and he produced fewer outstanding plays compared to prior seasons.

The New York Jets finished 5–12 in 2024. Following the season, the team parted ways with head coach Robert Saleh. In January 2025, Aaron Glenn was hired as the new head coach. Glenn, a 15-year NFL veteran and former Pro Bowl cornerback, spoke about leadership development while discussing Gardner. He said Gardner understands that leadership is about influence and noted the importance of how a player operates in the huddle and locker room. Glenn stated he wants Gardner to lead through his presence, not by pretending to be someone else.

Steve Wilks joined the Jets as defensive coordinator. Wilks told Gardner that sometimes a player’s greatest strength can also be a weakness. He said Gardner can perform at a high level even at 85% effort, but urged him to compete against himself to reach his full potential. Wilks said his goal is to push Gardner toward perfection. Gardner responded by acknowledging he is not perfect and stated that Wilks’ demanding perfection is what he needs. He said he appreciates having coaches who will challenge him more than he has experienced before.

The Jets are working on contract extensions for Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Gardner was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was the first rookie cornerback named first-team All-Pro since 1981 and only the third defensive player in NFL history to earn that recognition in each of his first two seasons, along with Lawrence Taylor and Micah Parsons.

Sportsbooks have adjusted their projections for the Jets entering the 2025 season. As of May, FanDuel set the Jets’ regular-season win total at 5.5. Most early sports betting favored the under. At BetMGM, the Jets’ odds to win the AFC East were +1600. The Buffalo Bills were listed at −275, the New England Patriots at +500, and the Miami Dolphins at +650. The Jets’ odds to make the playoffs were +475, and −650 to miss the postseason. Super Bowl futures placed the Jets at +8000. Gardner’s odds to win Defensive Player of the Year were approximately +7000 at Bovada.

The Jets’ Week 1 opponent is the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game is scheduled for September 7 at MetLife Stadium. As of early July, sportsbooks listed the Steelers as 3-point favorites. The over/under total was 39.5 points. The moneyline showed Pittsburgh at −155 and New York at +130.

Justin Fields, acquired from the Steelers during the 2025 offseason, is the Jets’ expected starting quarterback. In limited action with Pittsburgh in 2024, Fields completed nearly 66% of his passes and rushed for five touchdowns. According to Jets X-Factor reporter Nick Faria, Fields has continued to show several of the same issues observed earlier in his career, including a low completion percentage in the fourth quarter, slow processing, late reads, and leaving the pocket prematurely. Faria reported that these issues were present during Jets minicamp.

The Jets will face former quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Week 1. Rodgers spent two years with the team before joining Pittsburgh. The Steelers added several players in the offseason, including wide receiver DK Metcalf, cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and tight end Jonnu Smith. Gardner told The New York Post‘s Jenna Lemoncelli that he and Rodgers were in contact earlier in the offseason but stopped communicating after it became clear Rodgers was heading to Pittsburgh. Gardner said, “We haven’t been in touch as much. At the beginning of the offseason, we were more in touch. I think once there was really a reality that he was going to go to Pittsburgh, we just felt that we didn’t need to talk no more.” He added that they have not talked recently but expect they will before the Week 1 game.

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