The New York Jets set records last week when the team announced it had reached an agreement on an extension with both 2022 first round top ten rookies. Sauce Gardner’s deal was the latest to get done, his four-year, $120 million contract made him the highest paid corner in the history of football. Before that, Garrett Wilson got his money. His deal was again, four years, but this time it was $130 million. He became the first in NFL history to sign a deal worth more than $31 million after playing only three seasons.
While many revered the team for finally extending it’s two biggest weapons, NFL analyst Kyle Brandt, host of Good Morning Football, is not ready to celebrate yet.
“Great, you stuck the landing a few years ago, you signed your players. I need to see some sort of progress,” said Brandt. “Anything other than ‘We signed guys, and we’re paying them a lot of money, and they’re good.’ We’ve had those guys; we know what they are like on the field, we know what you’re like with them on the field.
I can’t do backflips here in New York City because Sauce and Garrett are signed. I will do backflips when they are actually playing in a game that matters in December, and it’s really time. So, great job, and I hate to be such a cynic, but it’s really time to start winning with those guys now that you’re paying them.”
It’s Okay To Celebrate The Undeniable Win
Worst case scenario, you’re paying $250 million for two players and it doesn’t fully translate to wins on the field. It’s still better, in my opinion, than letting your homegrown talent walk. A terrible feeling that too many sports fans know. Watching the player your team drafted find success else where because the front office couldn’t find a number.
Jets writer Connor Long shares my optimism on the issue.
“While the Jets have posted a disappointing 19–32 record since selecting Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson in the 2022 NFL draft, the duo has been among the team’s few bright spots. Rewarding homegrown talent after they’ve proven their worth is always a sound strategy, and general manager Darren Mougey did just that by locking up Gardner and Wilson,” Long writes. “Results are crucial, but securing two foundational stars gives New York their best chance to change the narrative.”
What Does Success Look Like For Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson
The duo is now the second highest paid non-quarterback combination in the league, sitting behind the Cincinnati Bengals combination of Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase.
So, for me, success is sustained winning. Both are under contract till the end of the decade. A playoff win if not this year then next is bare minimum. A legitimate Super Bowl run by the time the contracts expire would be the only way I see these two deals going unquestioned.
Sharing a division with Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills provides an easy out for the front office, but I expect Jets fans to be able to wield these two monster contracts like a sword to hold the suits accountable.
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