Sauce Gardner Deletes Cryptic Post Saying Jets' Offensive Plan Was Leaked to Eagles

New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner alleged in a since-deleted post on X the team's offensive game plan was leaked to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of a 20-14 win in October.

Earlier in the day, Jets punter Thomas Morstead offered a cryptic message appearing to allude to remarks made by former teammate Mecole Hardman:

If the Eagles did know New York's plan of attack on offense going into the game, then it didn't affect the outcome. The Jets only gained 244 yards but came out on top thanks to forcing four turnovers. Jalen Hurts' three interceptions tied his career high.

Gardner's post hit on what was a larger issue internally for the Jets amid a frustrating season.

A report from The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt, Dianna Russini and Jeff Howe surfaced on Dec. 4 that quarterback Zach Wilson was "hesitant to step back into the (starting) role" with head coach Robert Saleh weighing another QB change. The following day, Jets star Aaron Rodgers railed against that narrative on The Pat McAfee Show and called out whoever leaked the story to the reporters.

"That's a problem with the organization," Rodgers said. "We need to get to the bottom of whatever this is coming from and put a stop to it privately."

Rosenblatt and Russini published a postmortem of the 2023 Jets in January and detailed why things went off the rails for the team. Among the revelations was that Saleh went "into a tailspin" after the report about Wilson and Rodgers' public comments.

"The coach held a meeting with his staff two days later where he asked the leaker to reveal himself, according to multiple people in attendance," Rosenblatt and Russini wrote. "... Staffers were bemused by Saleh's obsession with the Wilson story and his reaction to it."

The Jets probably hoped the offseason would bring an end to the drama that helped torpedo their fortunes on the field. Instead, they continue to be a magnet for turmoil.