Sauce Gardner pushes Jets to sign two star WRs in free agency to strengthen offense for Aaron Rodgers' return

Sauce Gardner had a hand in convincing four-time NFL Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers to play for the New York Jets. Before the trade that brought Rodgers to New York was finalized, Gardner pledged by tweeting:

“Aye @AaronRodgers12 I promise if you become a Jet, I won’t pick you off in practice & I’ll burn the cheesehead😶”

The two-time First Team All-Pro cornerback is again wearing his recruiting cap, this time on wide receivers who can make the Jets offense unstoppable.

A YouTuber focusing on the Jets tweeted:

“Name a Free Agent no one is talking about that the #Jets should sign”

Sauce Gardner quoted it and responded with:

“Calvin Ridley & Tee”

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Sauce Gardner subtly campaigns for the Jets to sign Calvin Ridley and Tee Higgins

Ridley and Tee Higgins are two top free-agent wideouts once their contract expires at the end of the 2023 NFL season. Ridley’s rookie contract finally ends after playing out his fifth-year option with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The option was voided after his suspension for the 2022 season due to gambling in NBA and NFL games. The Atlanta Falcons also traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2023 fifth-round pick and a conditional 2024 third-rounder while suspended.

Ridley finished his first season in Jacksonville with 76 completions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games. Unfortunately, the Jaguars missed the playoffs after losing five of their last six regular season games despite going 8-3 at one point.

Meanwhile, Tee Higgins is in the final year of his rookie contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. He isn’t eligible for a fifth-year option because the Bengals selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. However, he can remain with the team if he agrees to a contract extension, which is highly unlikely given Ja’Marr Chase’s impending extension.

The Bengals can also offer him the franchise tag worth $21.7 million to keep him for at least one more season. In addition to these options, Higgins can negotiate with other teams, including Sauce Gardner’s Jets.

Higgins is coming off a season wherein he established career lows in receptions (42), receiving yards (656), and touchdowns (five). Missing five games due to a lingering hamstring injury might be a factor in his decreased production. But at his best, he has been a valuable contributor to the Bengals offense, as proven by his 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022.

Despite having running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the Jets finished 29th in points per game (15.8) this season. They are second-worst in total yards (268.6) and third-worst in passing yards (171.7) per game.

But with Aaron Rodgers returning from a season-ending Achilles injury, Sauce Gardner and the Jets defense can get badly-needed help from their offense. Adding talented targets like Ridley and Higgins could elevate their production on that side of the ball.

However, pulling it off means clearing cap space they don’t have. Over The Cap estimates their cap space at $4.9 million based on the projected 2024 salary cap of $242 million.