Jets rookie Sauce Gardner reveals how much he paid D.J. Reed for No. 1 jersey

Sauce Gardner had to pay up for number 1 after D.J. Reed had already claimed that jersey number, but it was worth it

When the Jets’ rookies took the field for their rookie minicamp last month, cornerback Ahmad Gardner was wearing the number 20. However, that was only temporary. He’ll be wearing No. 1 with the Jets, just as he did in college at Cincinnati.

The only hurdle was that free-agent addition D.J. Reed already claimed that jersey number, so Gardner had to convince him to give it up. On Tuesday, Gardner revealed to reporters that he paid Reed $50,000 for No. 1, showing just how much that number means to him.

Gardner was the Jets’ top draft pick this year, going fourth overall. He was one of three first-round picks, with Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson being the other two.

Gardner will start right away as a rookie, and as one of the top cornerbacks in the class, he should have a big impact on the Jets defense.