Gardner cleared the concussion protocol Friday and is on track for Sunday's matchup against the Giants.
Gardner returned to practice as a full participant Wednesday, but it took him until Friday to officially clear the NFL's five-step concussion protocol. Having the star cornerback on the field will bode well for the Jets' odds of shutting down whomever of Daniel Jones (neck) or Tyrod Taylor lines up under center for the Giants.
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Jets' Sauce Gardner: Ruled out Sunday
Rotowire
Gardner (concussion) was ruled out for Sunday's contest against the Eagles.
Gardner didn't participate in Friday's practice and had been listed as questionable for Week 6, but the Jets' decision to downgrade him implies that he wasn't on track to clear the five-step concussion protocol ahead of Sunday's game. With all of Gardner, D.J. Reed (concussion) and Brandin Echols (hamstring) and sidelined for Sunday, the Jets are likely to turn to Bryce Hall and Craig James as their starting outside cornerbacks, while Michael Carter mans the slot.
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Jets' Sauce Gardner: Leads league in passes defensed
Rotowire
Gardner finished the 2022 season with 75 tackles (51 solo), two interceptions and a league-high 20 passes defensed.
Gardner's addition played a key role in New York's historic improvement on defense compared to last season, as the Jets went from 29.6 points allowed per game to 18.6. There's a strong argument that the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft was the best cover corner in the league as a rookie considering Gardner led the NFL in passes defensed despite teams rarely throwing his way. Many a prominent wide receiver was "lost in the Sauce" in 2022, and that's likely to remain a common theme for years to come.
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Jets' Sauce Gardner: Leading tackler in Week 7 win
Rotowire
Gardner had a team-high 10 tackles (nine solo) and three passes defensed in Sunday's 16-9 win over the Broncos.
Gardner locked down Courtland Sutton in man coverage for most of the afternoon, as Sutton finished the game with just three catches for 23 yards on nine targets. The most important of Gardner's pass breakups came on Denver's penultimate possession, as he denied a fourth-down pass to Sutton in the end zone. The rookie fourth overall pick set a new single-game career high in tackles as well, and Gardner has quickly blossomed into one of the league's premier players at his position.
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Jets' Sauce Gardner: Undergoing evaluation
Rotowire
Gardner exited Sunday's game against the Packers to be evaluated for a head injury, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.
Gardner jogged to the locker room after a collision with one of Green Bay's wide receivers during the second half, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. With the Jets currently up 27-10 late in the fourth quarter, expect cornerback Michael Carter to likely finish out the remainder of this contest.
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Jets' Ahmad Gardner: Selected fourth overall by New York
Rotowire
The Jets selected Gardner in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, fourth overall.
Gardner is a big corner out of Cincinnati, where his press-heavy style of lockdown coverage earned him comparisons to NFL great Richard Sherman. Gardner has unmatched reach at 6-foot-3 with 33.5-inch arms, and his 4.41-second combine 40 demonstrated long speed to recover if he gets beat at the line of scrimmage. The Jets pass defense should improve noticeably with this selection.
