The New York Jets secured contract extensions for cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson last week, but Gardner chose not to sign his deal right away. Instead, he opted to delay signing to keep the focus on Wilson, who negotiated a four-year, $130 million deal with the team.

“I told my team, ‘We’re not agreeing to it today.’ I wanted Garrett to have his day – his full day to himself to feel good and spend time with his family,” Gardner explained to reporters on Tuesday.

Gardner ultimately signed his four-year, $120.4 million extension the following day, which included a guarantee of $85.653 million, earning him the distinction of highest-paid cornerback in the NFL in terms of average annual value.

Both Gardner and Wilson have become pivotal players for the Jets, with Gardner being just one of three defensive players in NFL history to achieve first-team All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons, joining legends like Lawrence Taylor and Micah Parsons.

Their new contracts will commence post-2026 season, effectively binding Gardner and Wilson to the Jets until at least 2030.