Jets' Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson Praised As 'Foundational' by Glenn After Contracts

The New York Jets rewarded their two best young players with contract extensions this offseason, and first-year head coach Aaron Glenn is more than pleased.

Jets star receiver Garrett Wilson and star cornerback Sauce Gardner both signed four-year extensions last week, tying them to the franchise through 2030. Wilson's deal is for $130 million, while Gardner's $120.4 million deal made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.

Glenn praised both players as franchise cornerstones who he hopes to keep around for the duration of his tenure in New York.

"Those two guys, they are foundational players," Glenn said of Wilson and Gardner, per ESPN's Rich Cimini. "And I'm glad that we got the deals done because I want them here for a long time. I want to set the precedent here, man. I want to sign all the players back."

After being selected in the first round of the 2022 draft, Wilson and Gardner made immediate impacts on their way to becoming just the third pair of teammates in NFL history to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year. Gardner was named first-team All-Pro in his first two years, while Wilson has recorded three straight 1,000-yard seasons.

After completing deals for Wilson and Gardner, the Jets now have to turn their attention toward potential deals for other key young players such as running back Breece Hall, defensive end Jermaine Johnson and linebacker Quincy Williams. Retaining as much talent as possible is the only way for the franchise to end its 14-year playoff drought and regain the respect of the rest of the league.