Sauce Gardner is having his American Gangster moment! The New York Jets have had quite the time this offseason. First, their star QB Aaron Rodgers skipped the mandatory minicamp and went on an overseas holiday in Egypt. The drama escalated when the Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh called it an ‘unexcused’ leave. While it created a lot of conversations about Rodgers’ dedication to his teammates, the chatter died down in recent days. However, it seems like Sauce Gardner’s recent actions are again putting the franchise under the scanner!

On July 7, 2024, images of Sauce Gardner hanging out with a well-known mobster, Joseph Merlino, started surfacing. In the photo, the Jets cornerback was seen shaking hands with Merlino. According to NFL reporter Dov Kleiman, Joseph Merlino is a mobster based out of Philadelphia and he met Gardner in Florida. Naturally, the image has quickly become the talk of the town and NFL fans are seeing the funny side of it.

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On an Instagram Story, the 23-year-old posted a short clip of him appearing on Merlino’s podcast, ‘The Skinny With Joey Merlino.’ In the clip, Merlino said, “My main man Sauce, the defensive back in the NFL.” From the clip, it is evident that the clip is from July 4. The Jets star seemed to be enjoying his time at the party and said, “appreciate you, man.” On his Instagram post, Merlino updated the fans on the podcast and said it will come out “soon.”

Sauce Gardner, who usually doesn’t mince his words, did not take the “hanging out” claims too kindly! Lashing out, Gardner wrote on his X account, “Dov, it’s funny because I know that you know I wasn’t “hanging out” with him. Rent must be due eh?” The Jets star also had a similar attacking approach when he defended Aaron Rodgers from criticism earlier in 2024.

Sauce Gardner doesn’t get the fuss around Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers wasn’t the most popular guy in the Jets camp after ditching the minicamp from June 11 to 13. Some conspiracy theories even suggested that the franchise hierarchy was angry with the 40-year-old and made HC Robert Saleh issue the ‘unexcused leave’ comment to the press. Amid all the backlash, Sauce Gardner had Rodgers’ back! Before skipping the camp, the Jets’ No. 8 attended all the OTAs and Gardner appreciated it.

“He’s a natural leader,” said the Michigan native. The Jets’ No. 1 also claimed that A-Rod “changed” the franchise for the better. According to Gardner, Aaron Rodgers commands respect in whichever room he walks in. On top of that, fans also can’t ignore the California native’s amazing CV. Not only does he have a Super Bowl ring, but Rodgers is also a 4-time NFL MVP and one time Super Bowl MVP. Hence, Gardner thinks fans and experts shouldn’t be too harsh on the former Packers QB.

Ahead of the preseason training camp in July, NFL analyst Jason McIntyre has called the Jets one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Can stars like Sauce Gardner and Aaron Rodgers stay away from off-field distractions and turn up the heat come the regular season? Only time will tell.