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Woody Johnson’s Line About Sauce Gardner Recirculates After Jets’ Stunning Trade

Kristen Wong

Jets owner Woody Johnson commented on Gardner weeks before his stunning trade to the Colts.
Jets owner Woody Johnson commented on Gardner weeks before his stunning trade to the Colts. / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
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Life came at Sauce Gardner pretty quickly ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline. One moment, Gardner was getting praised by Jets owner Woody Johnson, who took the cornerback in the first round of the '22 draft. Not long after, he was traded by Johnson for a couple of first-rounders amid the Jets' pitiful '25 season.

Gardner was dealt to the Colts in a stunning blockbuster move ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline following three and a half productive seasons in New York. The two-time All-Pro cornerback suggested there were no hard feelings as he bid farewell to Jets fans on social media, but the deadline-day trade still rocked the NFL world given Gardner's franchise talents and undeniable potential.

Not even a month ago, Jets owner Woody Johnson doted on Gardner and lauded the cornerback's skills at the NFL owners meeting in late October.

"I'm not going to speculate on Breece [Hall], but I think it's very important that we sign the other two guys [Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson]. Yeah, they're great talents. And I've been around for a while, they're way up there," Johnson said.

So much for that sterling endorsement.

Gardner became the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history in July, inking a four-year extension with the Jets worth $120 million. The Jets (1-7) seem ready to rebuild amid another lost season and having dealt one of their most coveted young stars to Indianapolis, but then again, with Johnson you just never really know what you're in for.

Gardner and Johnson had their share of precious moments over the years, including this hilarious exchange in 2022 when the then-newly drafted corner explained his "all-purpose sauce bottle" to the Jets owner. Following an impressive start to his NFL career in New York, Gardner will no doubt be dearly missed by Jets fans as he opens his next chapter on the Colts.

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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.

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