Sauce Gardner arrived in New York with elite cornerback expectations. He signed a massive extension and entered 2025 viewed as a defensive cornerstone. But the perception of being elite is fading with the New York Jets at 0-5. Cracks in his performance and struggles with systemic breakdowns have surfaced. The Jets lack the intimidation factor as a defense with limited response against other teams. Especially the 10-30 loss against the Buffalo Bills in week 2. The Bills ran the ball for over 220 yards and benefited from poor Jets penalties.

“It’s definitely frustrating because even though we lost last week, it was like one of those things where we know what type of team we’re going to be, and today we didn’t display how we played last week. We didn’t display that today at all,” Gardner said after the loss to the Bills.

Sauce Gardner was also limited by a groin issue in mid-September. His struggles do not occur in a vacuum. Under head coach Steve Wilks, the Jets’ defense had a low pass coverage and pressure rate rating. Blitzes don’t always work. Because the defensive line is inconsistent, opposing offenses are given too much time. Beyond Gardner, the secondary likewise falls short; his performance there compels him to overcompensate.

Gardner’s 2025 season has been marked by underwhelming coverage, lapses in technique, and missed tackles. Specifically in week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys, he allowed a 43-yard touchdown to George Pickens and called the play a result of “busted coverage.”

Thus far, Sauce Gardner has a 94.0 passer rating when targeted, placing him 36th among 73 qualifying corners. With an average to give up yards of 14.1 yards per catch and conceding receptions every 15.1 snaps. These figures rank him as the 17th worst among the defensive linemen. In one stretch, he posted coverage grades of 30.2 and 47.9 consistently this season. Falling below his past elite levels to around 60.6 in 2025.

In Week 4, Gardner was beaten by Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller for a touchdown, ending in a 27–21 victory for the Dolphins. In that same game, Sauce Gardner also drew a pass interference penalty. The touchdown came on a fourth-and-goal play in the second quarter, when Waller, making his season debut for the Dolphins, outleaped Gardner in the end zone to secure a 4-yard touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa.

Making history at the bottom

After a 37-22 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in week 5, the New York Jets stand as the only winless team in the league. The Jets also face the NFL’s longest playoff drought at 14 years.
In NFL history, the Jets are the first team to have no takeaways in five games since 1933, according to ESPN.

Aaron Glenn said, “Our head coach had a lot of confidence in me, making sure we get it right. And I feel the exact same way. I have a lot of confidence in Wilks. He’s done a lot of great things in this league as a defensive coordinator. And I’m going to allow him to do his job.” Glenn is also the first coach in franchise history to start with 5 losses.

The Jets entered the season strong with two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner and three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Quinnen Williams leading the way. Yet after multiple games, it’s only been 14 missed tackles and 0 interceptions. Such failures deteriorate field position and stress coverage backs like Gardner.

“The reality is us, as a defense, the guys that have been here aren’t really used to the offense putting that many points up. As a defense, we’ve got to just complement the offense when they’re doing certain things,” Gardner told reporters after a 34-32 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Poor matchup outcomes, penalty issues, and coverage breakdowns haunt Sauce Gardner. A drop from 90.8 in 2022 to 60.6 in 2025 in coverage reflects mediocrity.

“It’s hard to process, it’s keeping me up at night trying to process,” Gardner stated after their loss to the Cowboys.

But much of his diminished effectiveness stems from coordination failures around him. The highest-paid cornerback in the league remains winless due to a weak pass rush, spotty supporting coverage, and a defense unable to generate turnovers. Until those systemic issues improve, Gardner’s ceiling will remain compromised.