NFL
NY Jets’ Sauce Gardner bluntly shuts down suggestion to recruit Tee Higgins ahead of free agency
NY Jets’ Sauce Gardner bluntly shuts down suggestion to recruit Tee Higgins ahead of free agency
Sauce Gardner denies he was attempting to recruit Tee Higgins to the Jets.
New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner delivered two statements that garnered attention Sunday. One became his locker room comments after the 40-14 debacle against the Buffalo Bills. But another involves Tee Higgins.
Gardner simply said “pay that man” on Instagram when reacting to the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver’s breakout Saturday. However, one more comment got screenshot by Sharp Football Analysis writer Raymond Summerlin.
Gardner doubled down after that caption comment went viral. He took to his personal Instagram stories to suggest Higgins isn’t needed on the Jets. All because the franchise already has Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams as the 1,000-yard options.
Gardner just shot down any hope of a potential trio featuring Wilson, Adams and Higgins. Higgins in a Jets uniform would reenergize a fan base in need of a boost. Gardner and the Jets are on pace for their second four-win season since 2021.
Jets would have hard time signing Tee Higgins
Regardless, signing Higgins already looks like a massive dilemma for the Jets’ front office.
Higgins is staring at a potential $18.3 million annual salary for ’25, per Spotrac. Higgins looks due for a five year deal that’ll surpass the $91.5 million mark. The Jets currently hold close to $33 million in salary cap space for the upcoming offseason, per Over The Cap.
The Bengals already avoided losing Higgins during the 2024 offseason. He rose as the league’s most intriguing free agent wide receiver in the spring. Then later emerged as a midseason trade idea around Halloween. Cincinnati, however, has maintained him.
Higgins really elevated his game another level Saturday. He hauled in 11 receptions for 131 yards and scored three touchdowns — including the short three-yarder from Joe Burrow to seal the overtime win over the Denver Broncos. Higgins’ performance got teammate Ja’Marr Chase to say “pay the man.”