Brandon Stephens is quickly giving Jets fans a reason to forget about Sauce Gardner

For as much as New York Jets fans might want to leave the 2025 season in the past, cornerback Brandon Stephens hasn’t entirely moved on yet. 

The Jets’ infamous interception drought is still on the veteran cornerback’s mind. Despite being credited with nine broken passes, Stephens joined the rest of his teammates in failing to pick off a pass. 

Speaking with reporters, Stephens left no doubt that the Jets’ unbreakable regular-season feat is fueling him ahead of his fifth season. 

“In order to win games, you have to take the ball away to give yourself that advantage,” Stephens said. “That's definitely the focus. How could it not be?"

Brandon Stephens has been among the New York Jets’ early training camp standouts

Highly-touted rookie cornerback D’Angelo Ponds has been limited because of a hamstring injury, allowing Stephens to maximize his first-team snaps. 

Not that there should have been any doubt about the 28-year-old Stephens remaining in the starting lineup. He still has a nose for the ball, breaking up at least seven passes in each of the last four years. 

However, he’s managed just two total interceptions and one forced fumble in his five seasons. Expecting him to suddenly rack up turnovers, to put it nicely, is only slightly likelier than Bailey Zappe drawing the Week 1 start. 

Stephens’ goal should be playing competently, which admittedly sounds obvious. But the Jets need stability at corner following the Sauce Gardner trade. There is no reason to think that Stephens can’t provide at least replacement-level play. 

The 2021 third-round pick owns 64 career starts, and he’s been steady for both the Ravens and Jets. There are far worse options to have as a starting cornerback, especially in a division with Josh Allen and Drake Maye. 

Standing out at training camp should raise expectations, even if it’s primarily among the fan base and the on-site media.

The established household names can get away with slow and steady, but fans want to hear about someone like Stephens or tight end Jelani Woods leaving positive impressions. SNY’s Connor Rogers reported that Ponds has been “more confident and aggressive” throughout camp.

No one is saying that Stephens is about to match Gardner’s level of play — and if someone is saying that, then try dragging them back to reality. 

But Stephens is providing hope for an early end to the Jets’ historic interception-less record. Opening the season against Robert Saleh, Cam Ward, and the Titans only helps matters, too. 

So keep your eyes on Stephens, if only so that you can feel like the smartest man in the room when he inevitably intercepts Ward on a first-quarter drive in Week 1. 

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