Explaining Sauce Gardner’s $60 Million in Guarantees: How the Extension Compares

By Jason Bolton July 17, 2025 09:12

The New York Jets and cornerback Sauce Gardner recently agreed to a landmark contract extension that made headlines across the NFL. Gardner’s new deal, a four-year, $120.4 million agreement, includes approximately $60 million in new guaranteed money, cementing his status as the highest-paid cornerback in league history. This extension not only rewards Gardner’s elite play but also represents a strategic move by the Jets to lock down their defensive cornerstone for the long term.

Gardner’s deal builds onto the $25.4 million guaranteed remaining from his rookie contract, bringing his total guarantees with the Jets to a staggering $85.4 million. This guarantee figure is particularly significant because guarantees are the true measure of financial security and commitment in NFL contracts, often covering base salaries and signing bonuses regardless of injury or future performance. For a cornerback, especially a young player like Gardner just entering his prime, this level of guaranteed money ranks among the highest ever at the position.

What sets Gardner’s extension apart is both its size and timing. At just 24 years old, with two years left on his rookie deal including a fully guaranteed fifth-year option worth $20.2 million, Gardner and the Jets agreed to this extension early, a proactive approach not commonly seen. This contrasts with many franchise cornerstone players who approach free agency before or immediately after their rookie deals expire. By extending now, the Jets avoid a potential holdout or bidding war and enable long-term roster planning.

To place this $60 million guarantee in context, it surpasses the guarantees in contracts for many elite cornerbacks like Houston Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr., who previously held the record with a three-year, $90 million deal featuring less guaranteed money. It also compares favorably to some top wide receiver and defensive back deals, underscoring how much value NFL teams place on shutdown cornerbacks in today’s pass-centric game.

Gardner’s performance through his first three NFL seasons justifies this financial commitment. He has accrued 181 tackles, 40 passes defensed, and 3 interceptions, highlighted by back-to-back First-Team All-Pro selections and an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2022. Coaches and analysts laud his ability to neutralize elite receivers, provide lockdown coverage, and serve as a defensive leader despite his young age.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn emphasized Gardner’s importance, saying, “Sauce is the kind of player I want leading our defense tenacious, smart, and electric. This deal ensures we build around him for years.”

Financially, guarantees help players and teams alike. For the Jets, guaranteeing $60 million of Gardner’s extension aligns incentives and locks him into the fold through at least the 2029 season, coinciding with long-term plans that also include wide receiver Garrett Wilson’s simultaneous extension. For Gardner, the guarantees provide security so he can focus on his game without the uncertainty many players endure.

Sauce Gardner himself acknowledged the milestone via social media: “This is only the beginning. I appreciate the Jets organization for believing in me and the fans supporting us. We’re building something special.”

In summary, the $60 million in guarantees within Sauce Gardner’s new deal signals a new standard in cornerback compensation and highlights the Jets’ aggressive approach to securing their young core. As Gardner continues to develop as one of the league’s top defensive talents, this contract marks the start of a new era of partnership between a franchise and its franchise cornerstone.