Demanding More From Gardner
After two standout seasons to begin his NFL journey, Sauce Gardner encountered a challenging Year 3. Now, with a new coaching staff at the helm, there’s a renewed push to elevate his performance. Led by head coach Aaron Glenn and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, the new regime is holding Gardner to a higher standard, demanding more from the talented cornerback.
“I know I’m not perfect, but the fact that he’s trying to get perfection out of me is what I need because, you know, I’ve had a lot of success, early success in the league,” Gardner said, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
“And the last thing I need is a new regime to come in here and just allow me to be complacent. I’m not saying that’s who I am, but it’s great to just have those type of guys that are going to demand a lot out of me and just push me in ways that I’ve never been pushed before.”
Gardner’s Take On His 2024 Season
Despite criticism and a drop in statistical performance, Gardner stood by the quality of his 2024 season. “It’s never as bad as people try to paint it to be,” he said.
Although he described the year as going “pretty smooth,” the numbers tell a different story. According to Next Gen Stats, Gardner ranked 47th among qualifying cornerbacks in EPA (Expected Points Added) per target. This was a noticeable drop from his previous rankings: second in 2022 and 13th in 2023.
Wilks Sees More Potential
Wilks acknowledged Gardner’s elite ability but stressed that untapped potential still exists. His challenge to Gardner is to elevate his consistency and strive for personal excellence. “He’s very gifted, and I told him, ‘Sometimes your greatest strength is your greatest weakness,'” Wilks told Cimini.
“He’s a guy that sometimes at 85%, he’s still better than everybody around him. So his thing is — and I told him, ‘compete against yourself.’ That’s where he has to get better, which he will.”
Leadership Expectations
Glenn emphasized a different kind of growth for Gardner, stepping into a leadership role through his actions. “Here’s what I’ve talked to him about, about who he needs to be,” Glenn said.
“When you do lead, just let your influence do all the talking. How do you operate in the huddle and with the players in the locker room? That speaks more than the rah-rah guy. He understands that because influence, to me, is really what leadership is about.”
While it may be easy to attribute Gardner’s dip in performance to the broader struggles of the Jets in 2024, the coaching staff is determined to ensure that it was only a temporary setback, not a developing pattern.
