NY Jets CB Sauce Gardner has the last laugh in Pete Carroll feud

NY Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner shared some interesting remarks regarding Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll at the NFL Combine last week. Those remarks clearly didn't sit well with the longtime Seahawks coach.

Gardner detailed an "uncomfortable" pre-draft meeting he had with the Seahawks at last year's Combine, specifically calling out Carroll for being "so close" to the young cornerback and frequently interrupting him.

It was a surprising admission from Gardner on live TV, who wasted little time throwing Carroll and the Seahawks under the bus. A few days later, Carroll decided to have a little fun and responded on Twitter.

Carroll posted photos from Seattle's meeting with Gardner that showed the two standing far apart from one another. The 71-year-old coach tagged NFL Next Gen Stats and jokingly requested "a measurement" between himself and Gardner.

You can listen to Gardner's initial criticism and see Carroll's response below.

Sauce Gardner says his most uncomfortable pre-draft interview was with the Seahawks with Pete Carroll being too close to him and cutting him off 😯 pic.twitter.com/LSL7lZjOyL
— Optimistic Jets (@OptimisticJets) March 3, 2023

Hey @NextGenStats a little help here? Trying to get a measurement between me and @iamSauceGardner pic.twitter.com/iPWBgxWgka
— Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) March 7, 2023

NY Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner made sure to clap back at Pete Carroll's reply

Refusing to be outdone, Gardner clapped back at Carroll's tweet, suggesting that "it can't be [Carroll] that posted this." Gardner insisted that he assumed it was Carroll's "media team" that essentially cherry-picked photos from the pre-draft meeting.

This cant be you that posted this. Imma just assume it’s y’all media team who picked 3 pictures when we weren’t by eachother and posted it just for the internet lol. And imma keep it pushing🤣

Sincerely, DROY GARDNER xoxo😉 https://t.co/hYmD1nYUnM
— D’ROY GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) March 7, 2023

Both Gardner and Carroll's tweets seem to be all in good fun, especially given that the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year claimed that he "didn't want to come off as disrespectful" when asked why he deleted his initial response.

The Seahawks never had an opportunity to select Gardner in the 2022 NFL Draft as the Jets took him with the No. 4 overall pick. Gardner went on to put together one of the most impressive rookie seasons in NFL history earning first-team All-Pro honors in the process.

Seattle was able to land a young star cornerback of their own, drafting UTSA's Tariq Woolen in the fifth round. Woolen led the NFL in interceptions, made the Pro Bowl, and finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

From the Jamal Adams trade to dueling Rookie of the Year award races to Geno Smith's resurgence to even Carroll's own history with the Jets, these two fan bases have had quite a bit to argue about over the last few years.

What's one more Twitter feud to add to the growing list of gripes?

NY Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner made sure to clap back at Pete Carroll's reply

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