Jets emptying the wallet this week": NFL fans react as Sauce Gardner signs record-breaking $120,400,000 extension

The New York Jets have committed to making Sauce Gardner the centerpiece of their defense for years to come, finalizing a four-year agreement valued at $120.4 million.

The extension, confirmed on Tuesday, elevates Gardner to the top of the NFL’s cornerback salary scale, averaging just over $30 million per season.

In X, the announcement quickly became a flashpoint for debate.

"Jets emptying the wallet this week," wrote one fan.

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Jets emptying the wallet this week 💰

"Such an overpay," wrote another.

"LMFAO dude has the best PR in football," added another.

More fans reacted to the news.

"Got his bag he finna change up and get too comfortable," wrote one fan.

"He got a receiver bag dawg," commented one fan.

"God bless his agent," added another.

The agreement arrived just a day after the Jets awarded wide receiver Garrett Wilson a $130 million extension. Together, the back-to-back contracts underscore the franchise’s determination to build around its 2022 draft class, which brought in both Gardner and Wilson as top-10 selections.

Sauce Gardner's cornerback market reset creates a new salary hierarchy

Indianapolis Colts v New York Jets - Source: Getty

Sauce Gardner’s trajectory since entering the league has been remarkable. In his rookie campaign, he collected 75 tackles, intercepted two passes and broke up 20 throws.

This is more than any other defender that season. Those numbers earned him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Pro First Team. He repeated as an All-Pro selection in 2023, showcasing rare consistency in coverage, where he limited opponents to under five yards per target on average.

His production dipped last season. His totals included 49 tackles, nine pass deflections and a single interception. But he continued to anchor the Jets’ secondary and appeared in nearly every game.

This offseason alone, Gardner’s contract became the third megadeal awarded to young cornerbacks. Carolina’s Jaycee Horn and Houston’s Derek Stingley Jr. both landed substantial paydays earlier in the year, but Gardner’s extension now tops the position’s market.

His average salary surpasses Stingley’s $30 million per year and eclipses Horn’s $25 million figure, resetting the benchmark for future negotiations.

The Jets’ track record with first-round picks has been uneven over the past decade, with only a handful securing second contracts since the rookie wage system was established in 2011.

Sauce Gardner joins Quinnen Williams, Muhammad Wilkerson and Garrett Wilson among the few to earn long-term extensions.