This likely won’t come as a surprise to anyone, but Jets head coach Robert Saleh officially confirmed Sunday that rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner won the competition against Bryce Hall and will start opposite D.J. Reed in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens.
The two were close in the beginning, but as camp wore on, it always felt like Gardner was a step ahead of Hall. The second preseason game against the Falcons really tipped the scales in Gardner’s favor. The final clue was Gardner getting the start Sunday against the Giants as the Jets treated the game as their regular-season dress rehearsal, with Hall and Reed both dealing with injuries. Brandin Eichols started Sunday with Gardner.
Saleh made the announcement during his post-game press conference, which was simply a formality at this point. Hall and Eichols will be the backups.
Saleh says Sauce Gardner is officially the starting CB. No surprise.
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) August 28, 2022