A.J. Terrell contract is good news for NY Jets in Sauce Gardner extension talks

The NY Jets have a number of key franchise cornerstones who they're preparing to pay in the very near future. Perhaps none will cost more than superstar cornerback Sauce Gardner.

Gardner and the rest of the Jets' star-studded 2022 NFL Draft class will become extension-eligible next offseason, and it would make sense for the team to start planning ahead for those contracts.

The Jets are likely keeping a close eye on the cornerback market as they approach eventual extension talks with Gardner. The latest star cornerback to receive a hefty payday is Atlanta Falcons' standout A.J. Terrell.

Terrell inked a four-year, $81 million extension with the Falcons on Thursday, including a whopping $65.8 million in guarantees. The contract makes Terrell the second-highest-paid cornerback in the NFL in terms of average annual value behind only Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers.

While those figures are high, it's hard not to feel like the cornerback market is lagging behind other positions. Terrell's extension does nothing to further that market. If anything, it's evidence that the market is relatively weak, especially when compared to positions like wide receiver.

The NY Jets know that a Sauce Gardner will reset the cornerback market

Gardner is going to reset the stagnant cornerback market when the time comes. He's the first cornerback in NFL history to be named first-team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons in the league. What he's done to this point has been downright historic.

It's almost a certainty that Gardner will soon become the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, but the question remains, just how much will his contract cost? At the current rate, the Jets might be able to lock him up for a relative bargain.

The other important player to watch in this space is Denver Broncos' star Patrick Surtain II. The Broncos picked up Surtain's fifth-year option in the offseason, but it seems likely that the two-time Pro Bowler will want a new contract before that kicks in.

Gardner and Surtain will reset the cornerback market. Both the Jets and Broncos should be eager to be the first to get a deal done. But if Surtain receives his extension first, that deal should be pretty similar to what Gardner receives, pending the results of the upcoming 2024 season.

In the meantime, however, no other cornerback is resetting or even pushing the market. Alexander's $21 million AAV still ranks first in the NFL despite signing that contract over two years ago.

For context, 17 wide receivers are currently making more per year than the highest-paid cornerback. One would assume the cornerback market will eventually correct itself, but there's only so much Gardner and Surtain can do.

Terrell's extension keeps with the status quo. It maintains a suppressed market while other positions continue to flourish. Sauce Gardner is going to reset his position's market, but the Jets must be pleased with the current state of said market.

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