Jets' Sauce Gardner, Darrelle Revis Call Out Asante Samuel Over NY Media Tweet

New York Jets star Sauce Gardner took exception to the notion his reputation has been inflated because he plays in the Big Apple.

Gardner was voted as the second-best cornerback in the NFL in a poll of figures from around the league conducted by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Retired corner Asante Samuel disagreed with the rankings and referenced Gardner when he said, "The New York media will take your career to another level:

Not surprisingly, that elicited a response from the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year:

Jets legend Darrelle Revis chimed in, too, since Samuel had looped him into the discourse. He recounted how New York's wide receivers called him "DOUBLE MOVE KING" ahead of a game because the scouting report detailed his apparent struggles in guarding against double moves.

There's no question a player's profile can get a boost from calling one of the biggest media markets in the world their home city. When it comes to how Gardner is viewed, the numbers speak for themselves.

The 2022 first-round pick had four interceptions and an NFL-high 20 passes defended in his debut season. According to Pro Football Reference, he allowed a 53.5 percent completion rate and a 62.7 quarterback rating when targeted through the air. Pro Football Focus graded him as the top cornerback as well.

Gardner has already said he wants to be regarded as the best ever at the position when all is said and done. Samuel might have just given him another source of motivation ahead of his sophomore campaign.