New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner is set to get paid next year whether or not the Jets sign him to a long-term contract this offseason. New York can exercise the fifth-year option on Gardner’s rookie contract on or before May 2, locking him in for just north of $20 million to be earned in 2026.
It’s the most likely outcome for Gardner this offseason, but that amount would not satisfy him in the slightest.
The NFL revealed the fifth-year option numbers for first-round picks from Gardner’s 2022 NFL Draft class. Gardner, a two-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl corner, would qualify for the $20,187,000 amount for earning his aforementioned accolades.
An amount he deems as, “crazy.”
The only positions with a smaller salary than cornerback are kicker/punter ($6,313,000), running back ($13,640,000), tight end ($13,826,000), and safety ($18,601,000). It ends up around middle of the pack, but from Gardner’s perspective, that’s not reflective of the difficulty of the position.
Unfortunately for Gardner, the amounts aren’t calculated based on that criteria. It has everything to do with how the league values each position.
For players of Gardner’s caliber, they’re fifth-year options for 2026 equate to what the franchise tag is for each position in 2025. Franchise tag values are determined by how much the highest-paid players at those positions make on an average annual value basis.
Franchise and transition tenders are calculated by adding the respective tag numbers, divided by the sum of the salary caps, from the previous five seasons, and finally multiplied by the current season’s salary cap. Franchise tag figures are based upon the top five salaries at each respective position, while transition tag figures are based on the top ten.
While Gardner may have a point in his analysis of how tough it is to play his position, NFL teams don’t pay the best corners like the best pass-rushers, receivers, and certainly not quarterbacks. Guys like Gardner have to deal with the ramifications even before they sign their first long-term contract.
It is in the Jets’ best interest to use Gardner’s fifth-year option, but there is a catch. New York also has fifth-year options for defensive end Jermaine Johnson and wide receiver Garrett Wilson to consider exercising. Johnson, who’s made a Pro Bowl, would command $19,872,000 and Wilson’s would cost $16,817,000.
Despite Gardner’s frustration, he’d still take home a larger salary next year compared to his fellow first-round picks from a few years ago. The Jets will have to determine if all three are worth pulling the trigger on, or perhaps contract extensions would be in order to avoid those large salaries.
Gardner has earned his pay day, whenever that comes. The fifth-year option may be something he has to look at temporarily before the real dough comes rolling in.
