Is New York Jets All-Pro Cornerback Being Realistic with Super Bowl Talk?

Cornerback Sauce Gardner hasn’t lowered his expectations for the New York Jets despite back-to-back 7-10 records.

Gardner, who will turn 24 years old on August 31, already has two All-Pro selections to show for his two years in the NFL. Set for his third season as the Jets’ CB1, the 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year apparently likes the team’s chances to end a 13-year postseason drought.

“Same as I felt last year. I feel like we can win a championship, a Super Bowl,” said Gardner while addressing reporters after Tuesday’s OTAs practice in Florham Park.

After acquiring future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Jets entered the 2023 campaign as a potential championship contender. When Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1, New York’s offense fell into a rut and finished as the league’s 31st ranked unit.

The Jets’ defense, however, continued to operate at a high level. After boasting the NFL’s fourth-ranked unit in 2022, New York finished the 2023 season ranked third in total defense (292.3). Gardner has totaled 132 tackles and 31 passes defensed during that two-year span.

With the key defensive pieces returning coupled with a healthy Rodgers, Gardner is thinking big in 2024.

“We got the guys, we got the coaches, we got everything we need, the training staff, everything that it takes for us to be able get to where we wanna get to,” said Gardner. “Like I always say, we can’t get too high, can’t get too low. Keep the main thing the main thing.”

Gardner’s expectations seem to reflect the organization’s as a whole. The Jets are “all in” on contending this year.

“If I don’t do what I know I’m capable of doing, we’re all probably gonna be out of here. I like that kind of pressure though,” said the 40-year-old Rodgers on Tuesday.