Iron has sharpened iron on the New York Jets practice field where Sauce Gardner and Aaron Rodgers have faced off for the past two seasons. With the two now on separate teams, they are set to clash again in the 2025 season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gardner expressed he has some unique strategies up his sleeve for the seasoned quarterback.

With his experience practicing against Rodgers, Gardner finds himself well-prepared to challenge one of the NFL’s top passers. During their last match in 2022, Gardner successfully broke up three passes against Rodgers, which at that time was a personal best.

“I’m looking forward to it, because he might think he knows all the tendencies that I have, but this offseason has really been me trying not to give nothing away,” Gardner remarked in an interview on The Pat McAfee Show. “I know I’m going against a wizard the first week. I know what time it is.”
_Translation: “I’m eager for this because he might believe he knows my habits, but I’ve worked hard not to reveal anything this offseason.”

The Steelers’ revamped offense sets the stage for a significant test for Gardner, who has been remarkable in his early career, receiving two All-Pro selections already. He looks forward to putting on a show despite acknowledging the challenge of playing against a crafty player like Rodgers, who has shown signs of decline in recent seasons but still remains a formidable opponent.

While Gardner is ready for the challenge, he understands that studying the Steelers more broadly is key, as relying solely on tuning into Rodgers can lead to miscalculations.

In his last season, Rodgers threw 11 interceptions, yet he still approached the 4,000-yard milestone, demonstrating his capability to perform under pressure.