Getty A collection of New York Jets fans celebrating at the 2022 NFL Draft.
The New York Jets were able to put ink to paper this week to lock in one of their building blocks of the future.
Gang Green was the first to announce the news on its social media portals that they had signed Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner to his rookie contract:
.@iamSauceGardner is officially, 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 a Jet!
Rich Cimini of ESPN released the financial terms of the contract:
- Four-year deal
- Worth $38.7 million fully guaranteed
- Features a $25.3 million signing bonus
- Also includes a standard fifth-year option
The Jets have signed fourth overall pick Sauce Gardner, the team announced. It’s a four-year contract, fully guaranteed, for $38.7M. That includes a $25.3M signing bonus. It has the standard fifth-year option. #Jets
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Signed, Sealed, and Delivered
One of the great revelations of the new collective bargaining agreement is the near-complete elimination of rookie holdouts.
Now there is very little to argue about between agent and team. Wherever you’re selected in the draft has a slotted contract amount that is designated to you.
Outside of rare exceptions where fine point details are debated, signing the rookie deals has become more and more a formality.
“Just signed my contract man, put pen to paper, and I can’t wait to get to work,” Sauce said via the Jets’ Twitter account.
OFFICIAL: Pen hit paper today.
From No. 1 Pick to No. 1 Cornerback
Gardner was selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
In college he made history with the Cincinnati Bearcats and it didn’t take him long to start breaking records with the Jets.
As senior Jets reporter Randy Lange noted in his column, Gardner who is “known for his speed in coverage on the field, becomes the quickest Jets first-rounder to sign his rookie deal in the last 40 years.”
Gang Green will certainly be looking for that level of chutzpah on the field this season.
He will immiedatley become the team’s No. 1 cornerback tasked with shutting down the opponent’s No. 1 wide receiver.
Garnder famously never gave up a touchdown reception during his time in college and will look to keep that streak alive in the NFL. It won’t be easy with the current rules in the NFL that benefit the offense.
On top of the regulations, it will also prove difficult with the amount of talented wide receivers that are in the NFL. Specifically in the AFC East, he will face two of the game’s best in Stefon Diggs with the Buffalo Bills and Tyreek Hill with the Miami Dolphins.
If Gardner is looking for inspiration as he prepares himself for this difficult task, he won’t have to look far. Future Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis made a career out of locking down one side of the field.
#Jets CB Ahmad Gardner (@iamSauceGardner) says he loves Darrelle Revis (@Revis24) but hasn’t been able to meet him yet ‘that’s on my bucket list’ + everybody looks at him so highly & Sauce said that’s how he wants to be remembered when he retires: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight 😭😭
Gardner hasn’t gotten a chance to meet Revis yet, but it is on his bucket list. The organization is already pulling some strings behind the scenes to set a meeting between the two.
If Sauce can have half the career Revis did, fans will be thrilled with the results. The 21-year-old (who will be 22 by the start of the 2022 season) is overflowing with potential.
He has the length, swagger, and traits to immediately become one of the best corners in all of football. It’ll be up to him to maximize his skills and make the transition to the NFL game.
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