In the sunny locale of Palm Beach, Florida, Jets coach Aaron Glenn is someone who really knows a thing or two about playing cornerback. In fact, Glenn himself was a first-round pick for the Jets back in 1994, enjoying a 15-year career in the NFL and earning his spot at three Pro Bowls during that time.
Now, Glenn has the task of coaching one of the Jets’ shining stars at cornerback, Sauce Gardner. Despite Gardner having a less impressive third season, Glenn is strikingly optimistic about the player’s potential. “He can be the best in the league,” Glenn confidently remarked.
Gardner burst onto the NFL scene with All-Pro nods in his first two seasons. However, his performance in 2024 didn’t quite live up to expectations. Yet, Glenn isn’t losing sleep over it.
“It’s just how this league works. It’s not a walk in the park,” Glenn explained at the NFL’s annual meeting. “You’re not always going to be performing at your peak every single year. But it’s about putting in the effort to try. The thing is, he has what it takes. You mentioned it, two consecutive years he was outstanding. It’s not like he just lost it all of a sudden. Sure, he didn’t have the year everyone hoped for, but he’s bound to bounce back. That’s just who he is, as a player.”
Glenn’s focus isn’t on the player’s past challenges but rather on the determined conversations with Gardner and his strong character. “I’ve no doubt he’ll get back to where he should be.”
The coach is also in positive spirits regarding Garrett Wilson, another crucial player for the Jets. Glenn highlighted some good discussions with Wilson, noting the wide receiver is in a “good place” at the moment. With both Gardner and Wilson now eligible for contract extensions, Glenn seems wholeheartedly supportive of securing their futures with the team.
“They’re two young and talented players, and you’ll hear me say it repeatedly: we thrive on keeping quality players on our roster. That’s our goal,” Glenn explained. “Whether it’s Jamien Sherwood or any player we draft, it’s crucial to try and keep them here. When I was playing, there was an emphasis on retaining our drafted talent. I’m not sure if that’s always been the case here, but it’s definitely a goal of mine.”
“To me, the best way to approach free agency is by locking down your own guys. Anytime we can make that happen, we will. We definitely want to keep players like them around. That’s what I’m invested in—holding on to good players.”
