Jets' Sauce Gardner struggles when asked about Giants' Daniel Jones: 'He's a good quarterback'

Updated Aug. 21, 2024 6:13 p.m. ET

Associated Press

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Sauce Gardner usually has no problem finding the right words when he's on the field or at the podium.

The New York Jets cornerback struggled a bit when asked his opinion on facing Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the teams' joint practice Wednesday.

“Uhh ... He's a good quarterback, you feel me?” Gardner said before adding he thought he was about to get an interception before Jones instead kept the ball and ran.

“Umm, I mean, man,” Gardner continued while looking to the side and smiling. “The competitive periods, it was very competitive and it was great. I had fun out there today, you know? I don't really know what to say.”

Gardner said a lot by not saying much at all. But he attempted to clarify his comments with a post on the social platform X a few hours later.

“I said ‘he’s a good quarterback,’” Gardner wrote. “I just got a lil distracted with something mid interview." He added a crying laughing emoji and said: “chilllllllll.”

The embattled Jones, who's back from an injury-filled season a year ago, has an uncertain future with the Giants but still is the team's No. 1 quarterback.

On the flip side, Gardner was asked about Giants rookie wide receiver and the star cornerback was complimentary — comparing him to fellow former LSU receivers and current NFL stars Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase.

“He's nice," Gardner said of Nabors. ”He's very sudden when it comes to getting in and out of his breaks. ... He's going to be a pretty good player."

Against the Jets' starting defense, Jones showed a lot of play action and misdirection, but kept to the short passing game with no deep passes — which made the anticipated showdown between Gardner and Nabors a non-factor.

It's uncertain if Gardner and the Jets' starters, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers, will face Jones and the Giants' starters on Saturday night in the teams' preseason finale. Neither coach announced their plans for the game.

Jets coach Robert Saleh said he had made a decision, but hadn't yet told the players.

After Tommy DeVito's pass during a two-minute drill was knocked away, ending practice, Gardner stood in the middle of the field waving goodbye to the Giants as fans chanted, “J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!”

“We were just having fun out there,” Gardner said. "You know, two New York teams and we all know each other pretty much outside of football because we’ll be seeing each other around and stuff like that. Just having fun with it. Just a little goodbye. I ain't going to sugarcoat it. That’s basically what that was.

“But it was all love. Like, it ain’t no disrespect. Nothing disrespectful like that, you know? At the end of the day, were just competing, being competitive. That's what that was about.”

NOTES: Jets rookie OT Olu Fashanu didn't practice while dealing with an elbow strain. “Nothing to be concerned about,” Saleh said. ... Rookie CB Qwan’tez Stiggers was back at practice after missing Tuesday to deal with what Saleh said was a personal matter.

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