NY Jets' Sauce Gardner owns Bengals fans after 'Sauce Gardner Day' proclamation

The meteoric rise of NY Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner has made it easy to forget that he was a humble kid at the University of Cincinnati just a few short years ago. The Detroit native helped make his mark on the Cincy community in his time with the Bearcats.

Gardner, coach Luke Fickell, and Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder helped the Bearcats go undefeated in the regular season and become the first non-Power 5 team to make it to the NCAA College Football Playoff. They put up a valiant effort against a loaded Alabama team before their loss.

While Gardner might be a Jet, and as such, is poised to be a thorn in the side of the Cincinnati Bengals fans who once cheered him in college, the local government has placed their flag in his camp in a show of support.

Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval declared August 4, 2023 as "Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner Day" throughout the City of Cincinnati in recognition of his sterling career. Gardner took the chance to mock Bengals fans, as their mayor is now celebrating the recent success of an AFC competitor.

NY Jets' Sauce Gardner trolls Bengals fans on 'Sauce Gardner Day'

Even though Joe Burrow and the Bengals came out on top against Gardner and the Jets last season, the fact that he managed to hold his own against Ja'Marr Chase in what was his third professional game was a sign the Jets had a truly special talent on their hands for a rookie cornerback.

The elite cornerback has had a very busy personal week. On top of the fact he has been honored with his own day, he finished his college degree and graduated from Cincinnati. Even though he hasn't broken up a pass in months, Gardner is making an impact.

Gardner is heading into the 2023 season with a full head of steam, as he is coming off a Defensive Rookie of the Year win and ended up being ranked No. 27 overall by his peers in the NFL's Top 100 ranking this season. Everything he's touched has turned to gold lately.

If Gardner's Jets face off against Burrow's Bengals once again this season, the sparks are sure to fly. Watching their folk hero, who is already one of the best NFL players to ever come out of Cincy's program, be the catalyst for a Jets victory might be hard to watch for the folks over in Southeast Ohio.