New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, known for his skill and competitive spirit, showed off his trademark trash talk during a joint practice with the New York Giants on Wednesday.
After his team scored yet another touchdown, Gardner waved goodbye to the Giants, who share MetLife Stadium with the Jets.
Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of LSU, acknowledged that Gardner and his teammates had earned the right to talk after their performance in the practice.
“They can do that,” Nabers told. “They won today. Their defense came out and executed well. We beat ourselves.”
Despite the competitive atmosphere, Gardner was impressed with Nabers, comparing the rookie to some of the NFL’s top receivers who also hailed from LSU.
“He’s good. He’s very quick in and out of his breaks,” said Gardner, a two-time First-Team All-Pro, in an interview.
Giants – Jets Joint Practice
“A little Ja’Marr Chase. A little Justin Jefferson. He’s going to be a really good player.”
When it came to evaluating Nabers’ starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, Gardner found himself at a loss for words, struggling to articulate his thoughts.
“Uh, he’s uh, he’s uh, he’s uh good quarterback, you feel me?” Gardner said in an interview.
“I thought I was about to pick him off today. I had a cloud rep, where the cornerback covers the flat and the safety covers the deep half of the field.
He looked like he was going to throw the checkdown to [wide receiver] Wan’Dale [Robinson] at the last minute. I thought I had him picked, but he kept it and ran.”
If Gardner were in the position of Giants general manager Joe Schoen, he might feel a sense of relief knowing the team could release Jones in the 2025 offseason, freeing up just under $20 million in cap space ($19.4 million, according to OverTheCap.com).
