Sauce Gardner Talks Jets Contract, Says He Wants to Be 'Part of the Change' for NYJ

New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner said Monday he wants "to be a part of the change in this organization" with the franchise entering a pivotal offseason.

Gardner is signed through 2025 and has a club option for 2026. He told reporters he's leaving his agent to handle any specifics over his next contract but that he broadly wants to stick around in the Big Apple.

A member of the 2022 NFL draft class, he's among multiple key players for the Jets who are eligible to begin negotiating extensions. That group includes wide receiver Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall and linebacker Jermaine Johnson II.

Spotrac pegs Gardner's market value at $19.1 million annually, a salary that would rank eighth at his position.

The 24-year-old had one interception, nine pass breakups and 49 tackles in 15 starts this season. When targeting him, quarterbacks also completed 56.9 percent of their passes and had a 86.9 passer rating, per Pro Football Reference.

The Jets have a lot of pressing matters to attend to in the weeks and months ahead. They're in the process of finding their next head coach and general manager. They'll have to make a decision on quarterback Aaron Rodgers and need a firm long-term solution at the position even if he returns. Wide receiver Davante Adams has a contract that's easy to get off of, and his departure would free up a lot of salary cap space. Hall will be entering the final year of his rookie deal.

That's why Gardner might be placed on the back burner for now. He's under team control for two more years, and it sounds like he won't force the front office to act much sooner than that.

Gardner and his agent could prefer to bide their time anyway. While he didn't have a poor season by any means, he failed to reach the heights he had in his first two years. He didn't make the AFC Pro Bowl squad and it's hard seeing him make the All-Pro cut.

Gardner's earning power will be stronger this time next year if he firmly cements himself as an elite corner again.