New York Jets Star Sauce Gardner Says He’s Playing on Sunday Against Jaguars

Sauce Gardner missed last week’s game with a hamstring injury and it sounds like he has no intention of missing the Jacksonville game.

Oct 20, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) reacts as he leaves the field after playing the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Last week New York Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich made the decision that cornerback Sauce Gardner wouldn’t play last Sunday if he wasn’t 100%.

It sounds like Gardner is making his own decisions this week, as he told reporters on Wednesday that he is playing this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Kickoff is at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The injury report backs Gardner’s assertion up. He was a full participant in Wednesday’s workout after missing last week’s game with a hamstring injury.

Gardner was a game-time decision last Sunday before he was made inactive for the game. He hurt the hamstring against Seattle two weeks ago.

Ulbrich’s logic for not playing Gardner against Miami was the speed of that team’s receivers, including Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

With an extra week of rest, Gardner sounds good to go, assuming there are no setbacks.

Before missing the Miami game, he had started each of the Jets’ first 12 games of the season.

Now, Gardner wants to be part of changing the culture of this team.

New York has lost nine of its last 10 games and Gardner knows the perception makes the Jets a losing team. He also knows that he can talk all he wants about changing the culture but it require action — a specific action.

Winning.

"I don't want to keep losing. I want to do whatever it takes to turn it around."

Sauce Gardner is asked about how the Jets can change the culture of the team: pic.twitter.com/yWhZSXCwa2

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) December 11, 2024

"We got fans that pay money, season ticket holders, and at the end of the day we're still losing, so they probably feel like they're just wasting money,” Gardner said. “I don't want to keep losing. I want to do whatever it takes so we can turn it around."

Elsewhere, running back Breece Hall did not practice due to a knee injury after missing last week’s game. He was one of four players that did not work out, including running back Kene Nwangwu (hand), pass rusher Haason Reddick (illness) and offensive guard Alijah Verau-Tucker (ankle).

Four Jets were limited participants in Wednesday’s practice due to injury, including cornerback Brandin Echols (shoulder), offensive guard Morgan Moses (wrist), offensive lineman (groin) and cornerback D.J. Reed (groin).

Three New York players were full participants, including cornerback Michael Carter II (back) and  offensive lineman Olu Fashanu (toe).

Only four Jaguars were listed on the initial injury report, with only tight end Evan Engram skipping the workout with a shoulder injury.

Three Jaguars were limited participants, including offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland (knee), tight end Josiah Deguara (shoulder) and offensive guard Brandon Scherff (knee/shoulder).