Not long after arriving as the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Sauce Gardner developed a reputation for being one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. The New York Jets were happy to have him.
Now, Gardner is entering the final year of his rookie contract. While the Jets have a fifth-year team option that will surely be exercised for 2026, they also want to see their two-time All-Pro regain his elite status after parts of his performance dropped off last season. First-year head coach Aaron Glenn is leading the charge.
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Sauce Gardner’s new coach wants to see him become a better tackler
After failing to earn a Pro Bowl nod for the first time in his young NFL career, the New York Jets want to see more from their soon-to-be 25-year-old.
Specifically, first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn believes Sauce Gardner can put forth a much better effort when attempting to tackle ball-carriers. Yet, Glenn knows Gardner is capable, because he’s already seen it on film.
“He can be the best in the league. He has the size, he has all the traits that you want: he’s big, he has long arms, he can run. He has the ability to deny the ball. He can play zone, he can plan man, he can do it all. Sauce didn’t tackle as good as he could have last season, but his first years he tackled his ass off, so we know it’s in him, & he’s gonna get back to doing that.”
New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn on Sauce Gardner
The data from Pro Football Focus backs up Glenn’s remarks. Gardner had a career-high 75.2 tackling grade per PFF as a rookie. Yet, his grades slipped to 55.6 in 2023 and just 48.6 in 2024. He also had a personal best missed tackle rate of just 7.6% as a rookie, but that number has since more than doubled to 17.5% in 2024.
Naturally, the Jets would like to see their All-Pro cornerback return to top form in 2025. In fact, Gardner’s poor tackling may even be a factor during upcoming contract negotiations.
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