Latest news with #Gardner
Boston Globe
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Smart moves? No drama? What has happened to the New York Jets?
The Patriots, with the addition of Mike Vrabel and big splashes in free agency, are a popular pick to make a big leap in 2025, finish second in the AFC East, and make a run at the playoffs. But the Jets, tied with the NHL's Buffalo Sabres for the longest playoff drought in the major North American pro sports (14 seasons), are another team with a first-year coach who could make a big improvement. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up It starts with Glenn, who spent the last four years as the Lions' defensive coordinator. He's the latest in a line of first-time head coaches for the Jets, including Robert Saleh (2021-24), Todd Bowles (2015-18), Rex Ryan (2009-14), and Eric Mangini (2006-08). But Glenn has a few attributes that could help him avoid the pratfalls that usually come with coaching for the Jets. Advertisement Glenn is the rare coach with deep Jets ties. A former cornerback, Glenn was the team's first-round pick in 1994, helped turn around the Jets from 1-15 to the AFC Championship game, and learned at the foot of Bill Parcells . Few people have experienced a turnaround with the Jets, but Glenn is one. Related : Advertisement Many of Glenn's beliefs and philosophies come from Parcells. Glenn was terrible for the New York tabloids this spring, saying little of consequence that would garner a splashy headline on the back pages. 'I'm a huge believer in just moving in silence,' Glenn recently told the Jets' website. 'There doesn't need to be a big hoopla of what we're doing. We just want to go about our business and coach these players and try to create an atmosphere for them that's totally different than what they've been used to.' Discarding Aaron Rodgers after two disappointing seasons, and replacing him with Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor , should minimize most of the Jets' drama. Neither quarterback is the long-term answer, but neither will create headaches, either. But the Jets under Glenn and Mougey are off to a solid start. The biggest move was getting both of their star players signed before training camp begins. Cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson each had two years left on their rookie contracts, but this offseason became eligible for their first extensions. Related : The Jets of the last 10 years would have let Gardner and Wilson play out their rookie contracts, letting anxiety and negativity fester. Or owner Woody Johnson's son would have recommended trading one of them based on their Madden rankings. And Rodgers would have blasted Jets management on McAfee's show. Instead, the Jets quietly took care of their homegrown players and eliminated all distractions heading into camp. Gardner Advertisement 'The Jets are going to go into this thing where two of their top players are under contract, everybody's feeling good and happy and paid, and now you get to focus on what's really important, the game of football,' Woody said. 'That's what smart franchises do.' Smart? The Jets, the team whose 56-108 record the last 10 years is second worst in the NFL? Yet take the name away, and it's easy to like what they are building. In addition to locking up Gardner and Wilson, the Jets have made heavy investments in the offensive line, with three recent first-round picks and one second-rounder. The Jets also have a deep stable of running backs, an athletic scrambler in Fields, and a talented defense. The Jets ranked 32nd in rushing attempts last year with Rodgers calling the shots, but probably will be a rush-first attack in 2025. 'The Jets definitely got talent on their roster on both sides of the ball,' Woody said. 'This is the Jets' formula: They are going to look to establish the run, be physical, run the football, play-action, play good defense, and play smart. That's going to be the Jets' calling card this year.' It looks good on paper — certainly a more coherent plan than what the Jets have trotted out the last several years. But the Jets still have two major questions. One is Fields, who has a 14-30 record in four seasons with the Bears and Steelers. Fields has struggled from the pocket and last year averaged just 110 passing yards per game before getting benched. Advertisement The other question is Glenn, and whether he can stave off the dysfunction that swallowed up many good coaches before him in Florham Park. But expectations are low for the Jets, and Glenn seems happy to build his program quietly and without drama. 'When you've been as inept as the Jets have been for quite some time, it's kind of like turning around the Titanic,' Woody said. 'But if there's a guy that's able to do it, it's Aaron Glenn, because he understands the organization. He uniquely understands what he's walking into.' The Jets locked up cornerback Sauce Gardner with a four-year, $120 million extension. Steve Luciano/Associated Press ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION Howell's departure good sign for union Unsolicited advice to the leadership at the NFL Players Association, following Lloyd Howell's In June 2023, the NFLPA made a surprise announcement that Howell, an executive from Booz Allen Hamilton, a global technology and consulting firm, with no NFL experience, would succeed DeMaurice Smith as executive director. It came after NFLPA leaders changed the union's bylaws the year before to allow them to conduct the process in secrecy — not just to the public and media, but to Related : Then-president JC Tretter said the changes in bylaws were made to prevent 'the media' from influencing decisions. But Howell's selection looked a lot like a quid pro quo for Tretter, who remained in a newly created position of 'chief strategy officer' after his tenure ended in 2024. Advertisement The result was a disaster, and predictable. A month after Howell was hired, players were surprised to learn that Booz Allen Hamilton paid $377 million to the federal government to settle a lawsuit for overcharging during a period when Howell was chief financial officer. And a tidal wave of information came out about Howell over the last two weeks from ESPN. Players were unaware that Howell and the union agreed to conceal The momentum against Howell became too much, and he stepped aside after two years on the job. The NFL collective bargaining agreement doesn't expire until the spring of 2031, so there shouldn't be urgency to hire a new executive director without first doing a thorough search. Names to consider are former NFLPA president Domonique Foxworth , former Patriot and longtime NFLPA executive Don Davis , former Colts receiver and US Representative Anthony Gonzalez , and Miami-based attorney Brad Sohn . The lesson from the Howell experience is that transparency — with the players as well as the public — is the route to the best result. Let's see if the NFLPA learned it. Advertisement Late Thursday night, NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell tenured his immediate resignation of duties, stepping away after two years in charge of the players' union. Sean Gardner/Getty ETC. Belichick outburst did him no favors Bill Belichick may have thought he was helping himself by issuing a lengthy statement to Robert Kraft . But Belichick's latest outburst did him no favors. Boy, did he come across as sensitive and petty. Related : Kraft, appearing on Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski's podcast, said he took a 'big risk' in hiring Belichick in 2000, 'and we did OK,' he boasted. This should have been an easy one for Belichick to let go. Kraft has used that line dozens if not hundreds of times over the years. It's part of his shtick. His phrasing was innocuous and hardly worthy of a full-throated response. Belichick's long retort came off as extremely thin-skinned. The relationship between these two must be worse than ever. Belichick took some undeserved shots from Kraft in Related : But Belichick is the one rewriting history. Belichick says he is the one who 'took a big risk' by taking the Patriots' job? Belichick wasn't exactly in high demand after going 36-44 with the Browns, and he lost out on the Raiders job to Jon Gruden . Kraft, though, did take a risk in trading a first-round pick for a sub-.500 coach with a dull demeanor at the podium. Another questionable claim: Belichick in 2000 took over a Patriots franchise that had 'dismantled' their 1996 Super Bowl team and 'became one of the worst in the AFC'? They went 10-6, 9-7, and 8-8 in three years under Pete Carroll , and only bottomed out at 5-11 after Belichick took over. Belichick in 2000 also inherited several players from the 1996 team, including Drew Bledsoe , Troy Brown , Terry Glenn , Tedy Bruschi , Ty Law , Lawyer Milloy , Willie McGinest , Ted Johnson , and Adam Vinatieri . And while Van Natta, not Belichick, wrote that the Patriots ranked 31st out of 32 teams in spending since 1994, that stat has Belichick's fingerprints all over it. It also warrants a fact check since the Panthers and Jaguars didn't exist until 1995, the Ravens until 1996, the Browns didn't play from 1996-98, and the Texans didn't exist until 2002. Unfortunately, accurate cash spending data from the last 30 years is difficult to find. Belichick spent 25 years ignoring the noise, staying above the fray, and cultivating an image as a cunning, unflappable genius. A rapid transformation into the sensitive, media-hungry Belichick in the last six months is a surprising turn that is damaging his legacy. By the rule of law The NFL recently finalized its 2025 Official Playing Rules, reflecting all the changes that the owners voted on at their meetings in March and May (no, the Tush Push was not banned). There was plenty of ink about the few notable changes: Kickoff touchbacks now will be moved to the 35; both teams now will get a possession in overtime in the regular season (but the clock is a hard 10 minutes); and instant replay officials in the booth or New York can tell the referee to pick up a penalty flag for fouls such as hits to the head, tripping, and horse collar if there is obvious video evidence revealing a mistake. Two rules that got little to no ink: ⋅ The catch rule was again clarified, as 'tuck the ball away and turn upfield' is now written explicitly as a common football move adequate for a catch. ⋅ Officials are instructed to whistle a play dead when a quarterback simulates dropping to his knee behind 'or beyond' the line of scrimmage. A league office source said 'or beyond' was just added to make the rule more precise and consistent, but it does seem like the NFL is attempting to stamp out the fake slide that Patrick Mahomes and others have weaponized. Bridgewater's support won't go away Teddy Bridgewater is a hero for the kids of Miami Northwestern High, an inner-city school where most students don't come from much. Bridgewater returned to his alma mater last year to coach the football team, leading the Bulls to the Class 3A title and spending thousands of his own dollars on his players for Uber rides, meals, and recovery services. But Bridgewater's generosity ran afoul of the state high school association's rules on improper benefits, and Bridgewater said he has been suspended by the school district after self-reporting the information. The rules are there for a reason, but this is a case where sane minds should come together to find a way for Bridgewater to continue to support the players. Regardless, Bridgewater, 32, said he's not abandoning the program. 'And if it comes down to it, I will volunteer from the bleachers like I used to in 2018 and 2019 when no one had a problem,' he wrote on social media. Bridgewater's generosity to his alma mater ran afoul of the state high school association's rules on improper benefits, and Bridgewater said he has been suspended by the school district after self-reporting the information. Seth Wenig/Associated Press Extra points Shemar Stewart , the No. 17 overall pick, is working out at Texas A&M as he continues to haggle with the Bengals over contract language concerning his guarantees. The inference is that he is considering holding out the entire season and reentering the draft in 2026, but Stewart would be costing himself millions of dollars plus eight months of bad publicity. Stewart can't be fined for skipping camp because he is unsigned, but he would be smart to get it resolved during training camp … The Commanders under new owner Josh Harris keep making slam-dunk moves to connect with their once-dormant fan base, from retiring the jersey numbers of franchise legends Darrell Green and Art Monk to unveiling 1980s-era throwback uniforms to attempting to return the team to the site of RFK Stadium. It's amazing that Dan Snyder could never figure any of this out over 25 years … If Terry McLaurin , Trey Hendrickson or anyone else under contract doesn't report on time to training camp, the CBA mandates that teams fine them $50,000 for every day they skip. That's why the 49ers' Jauan Jennings , who wants a raise from $7.5 million, already said he won't be holding out. The 'hold in' is the popular tactic today … Vikings receiver Jordan Addison and Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice face suspensions to start the season after having their legal cases adjudicated. Addison pleaded to a lesser charge in a DUI case, and Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail for a high-speed hit-and-run in Dallas … The Chargers have eight uniform combinations for 2025, and look fantastic in all of them. The navy blue is the best … Former Saints tight end Jimmy Graham recently won a title with a different team, rowing 584 nautical miles across the Arctic Ocean to complete the Arctic Challenge in 15 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes, a record for a team of four. Ben Volin can be reached at
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Thoughts on Jets making CB Sauce Gardner the highest paid CB in NFL history 'GMFB'
"GMFB" share their thoughts on the New York Jets making cornerback Sauce Gardner the highest paid CB in NFL History.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Where Breece Hall, Jermaine Johnson stand as Jets dole out big-money deals
Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson should split the tab the next time that the Jets' cornerstone quartet hangs out together. A natural question arose after the Jets outlaid $250 million in contract extensions this week to their All-Pro cornerback Gardner (four years, $120.4 million) and No. 1 receiver Wilson (four years, $130 million). What does the future hold for running back Breece Hall and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson? The four top-36 picks in the 2022 draft arrived together, but No. 4 pick Gardner and No. 10 Wilson quickly stamped themselves with NFL Rookie of the Year awards. No. 36 Hall (1,585 yards from scrimmage in 2023) and No. 26 Johnson (7.5 sacks in 2023) have had their shining moments but also have been beset by injury.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Jets' future promising after extending Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson
Up now? Rookie GM Darren Mougey, who's joined at the hip with rookie head coach Aaron Glenn - a tandem already providing significant indicators that they're learning from the mistakes of Douglas and his predecessors (and peers) while reaping the fruits of his more productive labor. Mougey spent the past three seasons as the assistant general manager of the Denver Broncos, possessing a front-row seat to the disastrous trade and extension for Russell Wilson and then the near-instant overhaul under coach Sean Payton, who had the team in the playoffs with rookie quarterback Bo Nix last season. Glenn? He came to Detroit with kneecap-biting rookie coach Dan Campbell in 2021 and helped him build an ascendent powerhouse by imbuing a culture that players invested into while identifying and rewarding those who emerged as franchise cornerstones or potential ones. And what are we seeing from the Jets now? Things atypical of the New York Jets. Just this week, they extended the contracts of wideout Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner, arguably the club's hardest-working, most marketable and (go figure) most talented players. And they did so not at the last minute but as soon as the duo - each won Rookie of the Year honors on their respective sides of the ball in 2022, when they were drafted by Douglas - became extension-eligible this year. The significance extends to numerous levels. Paying players obviously trending toward superstardom early is a Lions-type move, not a Jets-type move. Heck, it's a Howie Roseman-level move, and it's fair to say that the Philadelphia Eagles' mastermind architect is currently the league's top executive. And, sure, Gardner is now atop the financial pyramid for corners with a four-year, $120.4 million pact, but only incrementally so after it was quickly beginning to escalate in the aftermath of deals signed by Patrick Surtain II, Jaycee Horn and Derek Stingley II. Wilson (4 years, $130 million) is a veritable bargain at $32.5 million per year once his extension, like Gardner's, takes effect in 2027 - especially given how the receiver market has exploded, Ja'Marr Chase becoming the first to reel in a deal averaging more than $40 million in March. It's also indicative of the foundation that's taking shape when a pair of rising stars, both about to turn 25, fully buy into it before Glenn has coached a game and want to be linchpins of a long-hapless franchise that's sorely lacked them for most of the past 14 seasons - which coincides with the NFL's longest active playoff drought. "Yup, Jets green has been running through me since the day they drafted me. Despite the ups and downs, the faith is mutual," Wilson posted to his X account Tuesday. "(That) means the world to me. Excited to start a new version of the chase next week." Gardner posted this: "I appreciate the Jets organization for believing in me, my teammates for the blood, sweat, & tears we put in, and JETS NATION... I appreciate y'all supporting me." The best football teams are typically helmed by players who work the hardest and are extraordinarily talented. When they're also young and willing to lead, a Lombardi jackpot just might follow. Furthermore, the deals for Gardner and Wilson not only tie them to the Jets for the next six seasons but will also provide Mougey the financial flexibility to continue augmenting the roster in the future. And there should be a lot of runway to draft, develop and sign players and/or make targeted forays into free agency. Aside from Wilson and Gardner, Pro Bowl defensive lineman Quinnen Williams is the only other first-rounder the Jets have taken in the last 13 years who's signed a second contract with the team. Pass rusher Jermaine Johnson and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, also Round 1 choices by Douglas, could be next if they can stay healthy while regularly providing the top-tier abilities they've flashed in past seasons. (One other nod to Douglas. He had the foresight to trade safety Jamal Adams, whom he didn't draft, in 2020 and somehow got two first-round picks in return from the Seattle Seahawks, selections that basically brought Vera-Tucker and Wilson into the building.) NFL PREVIEW: 50 things to know 50 days before 2025 season kicks off But, as we know, Douglas, fired last November in the midst of a bitterly disappointing 2024 campaign, didn't prove to be the guy to end a championship drought that extends back to the legendary 1968 team. Part of that was due to circumstances beyond his control, collateral damage typical of the New York market - and longtime owner Woody Johnson's club specifically - even if Douglas was never one who provided much grist for the notorious media mill. However Glenn, a first-round pick of the Jets in 1994 and a topflight corner for them for eight years, understands his environs. Seemingly the anti-Rex Ryan, he's been all bite and no bark so far, largely eliminating the leaks and headlines that tend to swirl around this organization - something that former quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whom Glenn wasted little time firing (per Rodgers himself), claimed was an important objective in Florham Park ... even if the four-time league MVP hardly practiced what he preached. Ah, yes, Rodgers. And Zach Wilson. And Sam Darnold. All reminders of Douglas' fatal flaw: failure to identify and obtain the savior quarterback this franchise has been seeking five decades on from Hall of Famer Joe Namath's heyday. Douglas, who inherited Darnold when he was hired in 2019, should have immediately put the players, coaches and infrastructure around an obviously talented player rather than maroon him on a talent- and support-devoid island, not to be confused with Revis Island. Douglas should have provided Darnold with immediate reinforcements by drafting Chase or offensive tackle Penei Sewell - ironically, he became a mainstay of the Lions' rebuild with Glenn - in 2021 rather than falling in love with Zach Wilson. (And make no mistake, I wrote the same thing with foresight, not hindsight, that year.) Instead, Douglas went for Zach Wilson, who put on a show at his BYU pro day four years ago but couldn't beat Coastal Carolina when it counted nor do much of anything right in the NFL - despite having better players and coaches around him than did Darnold, whom Douglas exported to the Carolina Panthers. Then, after two years of the Zach Wilson Experience - naturally, the headlines he generated off the field created a bigger stir than anything he did on it - Douglas was compelled, whether by choice or decree, to trade for Rodgers in 2023. You know the rest. Again, the Jets don't play a game that counts for another 53 days. But the 53-man roster seems to be shaping up nicely as Mougey and Glenn reinvest in Douglas' wins while seemingly accruing some of their own after crafting a draft class that was almost universally praised in April. That followed the fairly high-reward, low-risk signing of quarterback Justin Fields in March. He's said and done all the right things since, on and off the field, while being reunited with Garrett Wilson, his teammate at Ohio State. "I think I can be great, and that's been the goal for me my whole life, my whole career," Fields, who often gave Glenn fits as a member of the Chicago Bears, said during Jets OTAs in May. "I think the sky's the limit for this team, for this offense. "I mean, we have all the guys we need, we have all the talent. So it's really just going to come down to discipline and execution when the games come." And they're certainly coming. That's when Fields must prove the eye-popping talent he frequently displayed with the Bears - with whom he had Darnold-level help - and in an aborted opportunity last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers can be consistently reproduced under first-year offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. At minimum, Fields is already feeding into the mentality Glenn wants from his team. "This guy is just a workaholic. He comes in early, he's here late, and he's trying to digest everything and download all the information and do things the right way," Engstrand said of Fields during June's minicamp. "He's trying to do things that we're asking, and I think he's really put the next foot forward every day, just trying to stack days, and it's been really good." Even if Fields doesn't blossom into the franchise quarterback many thought he might be when he was drafted by Chicago, nine spots after Zach Wilson, in 2021, it wouldn't result in the kind of calamitous mistake that can set a franchise back years. Best case, Fields becomes the Jets' version of Detroit's Jared Goff, something of a reclamation project who simply needed a change of scenery. Worst case? The Jets seem increasingly well positioned to take another whack (or two) at their quarterback conundrum, the 2026 draft potentially a target-rich environment from that perspective. For now, things aren't necessarily quiet around the Jets as training camp approaches and the new money flies around while Glenn and Mougey literally take care of business. But, as Douglas could surely tell you, that's hardly business as usual in these parts. All NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Sauce Gardner contract details: Jets CB agrees to extension
The Jets' star cornerback has agreed to a four-year, $120.4 million extension with the team, according to reports. The deal reportedly includes $60 million in guaranteed money. Gardner has blossomed into a star since entering the league. Drafted with the fourth pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the cornerback been a key piece in stabilizing a Jets' secondary that has gotten used to featuring talented players through the years. It guarantees that one of the league's top cornerbacks won't be hitting the open market anytime soon. Here's what to know about Gardner's new deal with the Jets. Sauce Gardner contract details Gardner agreed to a four-year deal worth $120.4 million, according to reports. The deal also reportedly contains $60 million in guaranteed money. The deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $30.1 million, making him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, according to OverTheCap. Gardner is the second Jets' first-round pick since Quinnen Williams to receive a second contract with the team. His teammate, Garrett Wilson, beat him to the punch on a new deal on July 14. Since the rookie wage scale was introduced in 2011, the Jets have made 17 first-round picks. Of the 15 players that reached extension eligibility, only three were signed - Williams, Muhammad Wilkerson and Gardner's fellow 2022 draft pick, Wilson. Sauce Gardner stats Gardner has been a mainstay in the Jets defense since arriving before the 2022 season. He's played in 48 of a possible 51 games, showing plenty of durability in a league that sees more than its fair share of injuries. The cornerback has totaled just three interceptions in his young career, but the two-time All-Pro has received plenty of recognition for his work on the field. With two Pro Bowl appearances and a 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year to go with it, Gardner has cemented himself amongst the best cornerbacks in the league in just three seasons.
