The New York Jets preseason ended Sunday and so did speculation as to whether Sauce Gardner would be in the starting lineup Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens. Jets coach Robert Saleh confirmed that the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft will start at cornerback after beating out veteran Bryce Hall.
Saleh says Sauce Gardner is officially the starting CB. No surprise.
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) August 28, 2022
It was probably the worst kept secret of Jets training camp. Saleh maintained all along that Gardner and Hall were even on the depth chart, with D.J. Reed locked into the other starting corner role. But you would have been hard-pressed to find anyone who believed the stud rookie wouldn’t be a day one starter.
Gardner had an excellent training camp, commended by Jets coaches and teammates for his raw talent, confidence and work ethic. It also stood out in preseason games that other teams were already deciding not to throw the rookie’s way. In three years at Cincinnati in college, Gardner did not allow a touchdown reception.
But Gardner said Sunday that he appreciated that the Jets did not hand him a starting position. Having to earn it made this all the more special for the high-profile rookie.
Sauce Gardner on being named the Week 1 starter. “They made me work for it.” #Jets pic.twitter.com/wAuwMFJxUL
— Andy Vasquez (@andy_vasquez) August 28, 2022
Hall did not play Sunday in the Jets' 31-27 preseason win against the New York Giants because of a sore foot. The third-year pro, who started all 17 games last season, had a nightmare performance against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. But even if he had played better and been healthier, the odds were stacked against Hall starting this season after Gardner was drafted and Reed was signed during free agency.
Linebacker C.J. Mosley, the Jets leader on defense, said earlier in training camp that Gardner would not be called “Sauce” by his teammates until he proved himself and earned their respect.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Jets now shift from referring to Gardner by his given name “Ahmad” because it’s clear Sauce’s time has arrived.
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