Sauce Gardner fires back at Tom Brady with viral meme as NFL GOAT spits on his Jets jersey during WWE-style entrance at Fanatics Fest

New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner didn’t need words to clap back at Tom Brady, just a meme.

Brady stomped on Gardner’s jersey during a WWE-style entrance at Fanatics Fest on Friday. the Jets star fired back with a viral gif of rapper 50 Cent asking, "What you saying f**k me for?"

While Gardner and the seven-time Super Bowl champion never clashed on the field, the corner entered the league in 2022, Brady’s final year

Fanatics Fest 2025 wasn’t just another collectibles convention. It was part fan expo, celebrity showcase and sports entertainment.

Backed by WWE superstar Cody Rhodes' iconic entrance theme, Brady stormed the stage. He strutted through the fog before seemingly spitting on Sauce Gardner's Jets jersey, then discarding it. Not stopping there, he also tore an Eli Manning Giants jersey in two, drawing boos, laughs and gasps from the New York crowd.

Tom Brady wasn’t the only former quarterback embracing a bit of sports theater. Manning made a surprise entrance of his own, bursting onto the stage to ‘tackle’ Brady with a piggyback ambush after watching his jersey get ripped.

Manning famously beat Brady twice in championship games, including the 2007 season’s stunning upset that denied New England a perfect year.

Sauce Gardner is a star still on the rise, despite a rankings dip

Fanatics Super Bowl Party - Source: Getty

Sauce Gardner’s on-field reputation remains elite, though not untouched. CBS Sports recently dropped him from No. 12 to No. 24 in its annual player rankings, citing minor regression and tackling concerns. But the numbers suggest stability: just one touchdown allowed in 2024, a 56.9% completion rate on 33 targets and 541 yards conceded in coverage.

"Gardner's play fell off some in 2024, much like a lot of Jets, but it didn't fall that much," Prisco said, according to Yardbarker. "He needs to tackle better at times, but there is no doubt he is an outstanding cover corner."

That statistical consistency mirrors his rookie and sophomore seasons, which earned him First-Team All-Pro honors. Though his ranking slipped, analysts still place him among the league’s top corners, behind only Patrick Surtain II and Derek Stingley Jr.