I was on the sideline at New York Jets training camp on Tuesday, observing the highs and the lows of Aaron Glenn’s squad.
On Tuesday, the Jets had a slight scare from All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner — what’s the update?
Gardner has been battling calf soreness
Glenn said on August 13 that Gardner had been battling some calf soreness, and many wonder if this is lingering.
On Tuesday, Gardner had hobbled off the Field and seemingly didn’t practice much more after doing so. He was then seen limping to the locker room after the end of practice, which is a good and bad sign for the Jets.
Jets, Sauce Gardner,
Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
If they believed it was serious, then we could have seen the Jets take him in a bit earlier.
This continued throughout the week, as Gardner didn’t compete in team drills on Wednesday either. So what really is going on with the star cornerback?
Jets need Gardner to return to top form
Thankfully, Glenn says that Gardner is going to be “just fine.” He got kicked in the leg, and he seems to have a bit of soreness around it as well. A good sign for Jets fans.
This year needs to be a big one for the newly extended corner, as the Jets need a big year out of their defense. His rookie year was like none other, as he looked to be one of the best corners of this generation.
Sauce Gardner, Jets
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He put up 75 tackles, two interceptions, had 20 passes defended, and finished at the top of the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting and was on the All-Pro First Team.
Last year, he wasn’t nearly what he was then. Gardner put up 49 tackles, had nine passes defended, no interceptions, and wasn’t on an All-Pro team either.
The Jets need, and are expecting, a big turnaround from the defensive back. This defense needs to shine in order for them to reach their playoff aspirations, and a return of a dominant Gardner would really help.