Sauce Gardner Delayed Contract Announcement in Classy Gesture to Garrett Wilson

Karl Rasmussen | Jul 22, 2025

Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson both received lucrative contract extensions this offseason. / Cooper Neill/Getty Images

The Jets front office was busy last week, having carved out new contracts for two of the team's most important players ahead of the upcoming season.

First, standout wide receiver Garrett Wilson agreed to a four-year extension with the team worth $130 million. That was followed by a record-setting deal for cornerback Sauce Gardner, who became the NFL's highest-paid cornerback after signing a four-year, $120.4 million deal.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Gardner, whose contract extension was announced a day after Wilson's, said he asked the team to wait a day to finalize his deal because he wanted to let his close friend and teammate have his moment, via Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.

It was a small gesture, but a classy one nonetheless, making sure his own achievement didn't overshadow that of his equally deserving teammate.

Wilson and Gardner are now locked in to be the faces of the future of the Jets. Both were first round picks by the franchise in 2022, and have developed into some of the best at their position across the NFL. Clearly, Gardner was elated for Wilson to get his new deal, and he made sure to put his own celebrations on hold in order to share his excitement for his longtime teammate.

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