Sauce Gardner is still one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks, though he had a down season in 2024 as the New York Jets dealt with coaching turmoil.
After earning Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors in his first two years, Gardner came away with no accolades last season. He allowed a career-worst 86.9 passer rating in coverage. He also gave up a personal-high 56.9% completion rate and 541 receiving yards. Still, he did what he usually does best: kept opponents out of the end zone, allowing just one touchdown as the primary defender.
Now that the Jets have stability again with defensive-minded head coach Aaron Glenn, the cornerback known as “Sauce” could be set for a bounce-back season—one where he reminds receivers why he’s one of the toughest matchups in coverage.
Jets HC Aaron Glenn Questions Sauce Gardner’s Tackling, Praises Coverage Skills
At the NFL owners meetings, Glenn told reporters that Gardner has all the tools to become the best cornerback in football and plans to push the fourth-year DB to earn that title.
He also didn’t hold back regarding Gardner’s biggest weakness: tackling.
“He can be the best in the league. He has the size, he has all the traits that you want: he’s big, he has long arms, he can run. He has the ability to deny the ball. He can play zone, he can play man, he can do it all. Sauce didn’t tackle as good as he could have last season, but his first years he tackled his a** off, so we know it’s in him, & he’s gonna get back to doing that,” Glenn said.
The stats back Glenn up. Gardner had just 49 total tackles in 2024 (36 solo), a significant drop from the 75 (51 solo) he had as a rookie in 2022.
Of course, shutdown corners don’t have to tackle as much when they’re locking up receivers and denying completions. But tackling still matters, especially when it comes to limiting yards after the catch when a receiver does make a play.
Aaron Glenn on Sauce Gardner:#Jets
"He can be the best in the league. He has the size, he has all the traits that you want: he's big, he has long arms, he can run. He has the ability to deny the ball. He can play zone, he can plan man, he can do it all. Sauce didn't tackle as… pic.twitter.com/mlWPwdsyEf
— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) March 31, 2025
In Gardner’s defense, it’s fair to say the Jets’ locker room checked out last season once Robert Saleh was fired following a 2-3 start. With a new head coach and clear direction, the 24-year-old could be set to refocus on becoming the most complete corner in the league.
And if anyone can get him back to that level, it’s Glenn.
Glenn started his NFL career as a cornerback with the Jets. After being selected No. 3 overall in the 1994 NFL Draft, he played for New York from 1994 to 2001 and became a three-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Jets’ All-Time Four Decade Team.
Now, he’s back with the franchise, hoping to end their 14-season playoff drought.
Glenn served as the New Orleans Saints’ defensive backs coach from 2016 to 2020. Then, the Lions hired him in 2021 to help overhaul their struggling defense. That season, Detroit ranked 31st or 32nd in red-zone efficiency, points per drive, turnover rate, and average opponent drive distance.
The Lions lost six of their final seven games in 2021 and were outscored 252-150 during that stretch — no other team allowed more than 237 points in that span.
They didn’t just need scheme changes but a full culture reset. Glenn helped deliver that and kept it rolling over the next few seasons:
- 2020 (before Glenn): 2.95 points allowed per drive
- 2021: 2.52
- 2022: 2.28
- 2023: 2.03
- 2024: 1.91
The Jets’ defense should take a big step forward under Glenn after finishing 20th in points per game allowed (23.8) and 15th in PFSN’s Defense+ metric (75.5/100). The rest of the unit might follow if Gardner rises to his coach’s challenge.
Probably one of the most overrated players in the NFL.