The New York Jets are demanding perfection from cornerback Sauce Gardner, and he’s embracing the problem.
With a brand new employees in place underneath head coach Aaron Glenn and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, Gardner has a contemporary alternative to raise his recreation.
At Gardner’s first assembly together with his new defensive coordinator, expectations have been made crystal clear.
“I do know I’m not good, however the truth that [Steve is] making an attempt to get perfection out of me is what I want as a result of, you already know, I’ve had a whole lot of success, early success within the league,” Gardner stated, by way of ESPN. “And the very last thing I want is a brand new regime to return in right here and simply enable me to be complacent. I’m not saying that’s who I’m, but it surely’s nice to simply have these sort of men which might be going to demand rather a lot out of me and simply push me in ways in which I’ve by no means been pushed earlier than.”
Gardner’s trajectory took an surprising flip in 2024.
After being named a first-team All-Professional in his first two seasons, he slipped to forty seventh in EPA per goal amongst 52 qualifying corners final yr.
That marked a dramatic fall from his top-two rookie rating. Penalties turned extra frequent as effectively, with 9 accepted flags final season in comparison with simply seven mixed in his first two campaigns.
The numbers inform one story, however Gardner refuses to just accept any narrative about his decline.
Contract extension talks proceed, positioning him to doubtlessly develop into the highest-paid cornerback within the league.
His focus stays on resetting expectations underneath Wilks’ demanding method.
The coordinator’s depth may very well be precisely what Gardner must reclaim his elite standing and rescue his profession trajectory.
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