Why was Sauce Gardner sidelined? NFL fans fear shoulder injury after CB misses multiple plays vs 49ers

The New York Jets were given an almighty scare in the second half of their Monday Night Football battle against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Star cornerback Sauce Gardner was off the field for multiple plays and was visibly in some discomfort on the sidelines.

The All-Pro's absence seemingly stemmed from a shoulder injury he sustained during a tackle attempt on Deebo Samuel. The San Francisco 49ers star was trying to weave his way out of a busted third down play. He managed to beat multiple Jets defenders, prompting Gardner to sprint to the backfield to cut his progress.

He managed to trip Samuel, but seemingly at a personal expense.

While it was mentioned on the broadcast that Gardner's absence wasn't injury-related, fans refused to believe the team would keep him off the field unless he was incapacitated:

Some fans rubbished speculation that Gardner's absence wasn't due to an injury:

"So if Sauce Gardner wasn’t hurt then why are we letting him just chill on the sideline as Jets D got picked apart left and right?! Dude checking out the San Fran scenery or what" - Asked @TheGunzShow

"Gardner literally got hurt on the play trying to tackle Deebo Samuel." - Reiterated @polancojerry16

"That update about Sauce Gardner was the most bizarre one I’ve ever heard." - Remarked @anthonyghalkias

Gardner returned to the game for the 49ers' final possession of the half and played his part in limiting them to a field goal.

Sauce Gardner calls out Jets defense for performance vs. 49ers

Gardner played the entire second half but was powerless to stop the 49ers from scoring on all four drives. During his post-game interview, the cornerback did not mince words about the Jets' defensive effort.

"Obviously it's frustrating [that they punted only once]. We've got to be a lot better, we've got a lot to clean up. It's Week 1. We have a long season ahead of us."

The Jets' defense was one of the silver linings of a difficult 2023 season. They gave up 30 points only five times in 17 games, a stellar record considering the team averaged only 15.8 points per game and did not spend a lot of time on the field.

They'll expect a much-improved showing against the Tennessee Titans in Week 2.