Sauce Gardner Says He, Garrett Wilson Want to Be 'Jets For Life' Amid Contract Talks

The New York Jets have a pair of young stars who are hoping to be the faces of the franchise for the remainder of their careers.

Jets star cornerback Sauce Gardner told reporters on Thursday that he and star receiver Garrett Wilson "talk a lot about how they want to be Jets for life," per The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt. Both he and Wilson are eligible for contract extensions this offseason.

"We always talk about competing in practice and making each other better because we’re the building blocks," Gardner said.

Despite not yet receiving new deals, Gardner and Wilson have been in attendance for the entirety of the Jets' offseason program as the team embarks on its first year under new head coach Aaron Glenn. First-year general manager Darren Mougey said earlier this offseason that extensions for the 2022 first-round draft picks is on the "to-do list."

Gardner and Wilson immediately established themselves as franchise cornerstones, becoming the third pair of teammates ever to be named Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year in the same season. Still, New York has struggled to achieve success and is going through yet another rebuild.

Despite the team's struggles, Wilson also made it clear that he shares the same sentiment as Gardner.

"I'm hopeful I'm a Jet for life and that we get this thing rolling and that all of our best days are ahead of us," Wilson said after the Jets' first open OTA practice last month.

It would be wise for the Jets to reward their young stars with new deals sooner rather than later as the new regime tries to reshape this downtrodden franchise.