Jets' Sauce Gardner Aims To Trick A 'Wizard' In Week 1 vs. Aaron Rodgers' Steelers
By the time the 2025 NFL season gets underway, in part highlighted by Aaron Rodgers leading the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 against his former New York Jets team, Sauce Gardner plans to be ...
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Richer.
Bigger.
Trickier.
Rodgers, of course, spent the last two seasons with the Jets before he was dumped this offseason, and now he and the Steelers will be visiting MetLife Stadium to play his former team in the season opener.
The Jets have made major changes in many ways, but a featured guy remains cornerback Sauce Gardner, who recently told ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show that he's "looking forward to the challenge" of opposing Rodgers in large part due to the brain game of football.
"He might think he knows all the tendencies that I have, but this offseason has really been me trying not to give nothing away," Gardner said. "I've been trying to work on literally everything because I already know I'm about to go against a wizard Week 1.
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"I already know what time it is.'
Gardner has long said positive things about Rodgers as a teammate ... but now must do any he can to take down the 41-year-old legend.
Sauce is now bigger; he is listed at 190 pounds, but the Pro Bowl-level performer has added 10 pounds of muscle this offseason.
'I'm sitting about 200 pounds right now and I don't think I've ever really played that heavy,'' he said. "But it's like the more weight I've put on, the more muscle, the more explosive and the faster I become with that muscle that I've put on.'
Gardner is also looking for a contract extension and has said that he believes that talks with the Jets are moving in the proper direction. ... maybe toward the $30 million APY level.
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Gardner was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022, as well as being named First Team All-Pro in both of his first two seasons. He also led the NFL in passes defended in his rookie year with 20 ... and he's ready to do even more in 2025 ...
Starting in Week 1 when he'll try to "trick'' a "wizard.''
Related: Jets 'Potential Landing Spot' For Ex-Cowboys $100 Million Receiver
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
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