The Jets and Sauce Gardner have worked out a new deal. On the surface, it’s the best deal ever signed by an NFL cornerback.
At a deeper level, it’s open to interpretation.
First, the details. Here they are, per a source with knowledge of the terms:
1. Signing bonus: $13.75 million, paid in full by September 30, 2025.
2. 2025 base salary: $1.25 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2026 option bonus: $20 million, fully guaranteed.
4. 2026 workout bonus: $250,000, fully guaranteed (but must be earned).
5. 2026 base salary: $5.25 million, fully guaranteed.
6. 2027 option bonus: $10 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2026.
7. 2027 workout bonus: $250,000, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2026 (but must be earned).
8. 2027 base salary: $13.953 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2026.
9. 2027 per-game roster bonus: $750,000 total, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2026 (but must be earned).
10. 2028 workout bonus: $250,000, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2027 (but must be earned).
11. 2028 base salary: $19.2 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2027.
12. 2028 per-game roster bonus: $750,000 total, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2027 (but must be earned).
13. 2029 workout bonus: $250,000.
14. 2029 base salary: $29.1 million.
15. 2030 per-game roster bonus: $750,000 total.
16. 2030 workout bonus: $250,000.
17. 2030 base salary: $29.1 million.
18. 2030 per-game roster bonus: $750,000 total.
The new-money APY of $30.1 million beats Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. by $100,000 per year. However, there are some key differences.
First, Stingley signed a three-year extension. He’s under contract for five years, not six.
Second, Stingley has better guarantees than Gardner, despite being under contract for one fewer year.
For Stingley, the total guarantee is $89 million, with $48 million fully guaranteed at signing, $68 million fully guaranteed by 2026, and the full $89 million vesting by 2027.
For Gardner, the total guarantee is $85.65 million, with $40.5 million fully guaranteed at signing, $65.45 million fully guaranteed by 2026, and the full $85.65 million vesting by 2027.
Stingley also has better cash flow in the early years, with $6 million more in 2026 and $7.3 million more through 2027.
One last point. Stingley pushed the bar up by $5 million per year, over Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn. Gardner has nudged it by only $100,000 per year.
It’s still a great deal for Gardner, who had a down year in 2024. The new regime easily could have waited until 2026 to re-do the deal. Of course, if/when Gardner had gotten back to his form of 2022-23, it would have cost a lot more if they had opted to kick the can for a year.
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