Sauce Gardner's latest embarrassing comments highlight Jets' culture problem

The New York Jets hired head coach Aaron Glenn in large part because they believed in his ability to turn around a losing culture. Glenn was a part of the Lions' organizational overhaul in Detroit and saw firsthand what Bill Parcells was able to do for the Jets' institutional culture as a player decades ago.

But if one thing has become clear through the first five weeks of the 2025 season, it's that Glenn's arrival hasn't "changed the culture," so to speak, as quickly as anyone would have hoped.

This Jets team can still be characterized by the same shortcomings that defined previous iterations. They lack discipline. They fold and crumble at the slightest hint of adversity. And most of all, the players lack accountability.

This isn't a one-size-fits-all problem that applies to every player on the roster. Some players like Garrett Wilson continue to say all the right things off the field and lead by example on it. But it's evident that not all of the team's leaders share that winning mentality.

Case in point: Sauce Gardner.

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Sauce Gardner continues to be proof of the Jets' losing culture

Gardner spoke to reporters following the Jets' 37-22 humiliation at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, and instead of holding himself accountable and promising to be better moving forward, like his 2022 draft-mate did, he once again deflected blame to others.

The two-time All-Pro was asked what went wrong on the 43-yard touchdown he allowed to George Pickens in Sunday's game, and rather than place the blame on himself, he insisted the play was a result of "busted coverage." Gardner thought there would be safety help over the top.

While Gardner is almost definitely correct (if he's lying about it, that's an even bigger issue), his comment is more evidence of the losing culture that still permeates the walls of One Jets Drive.

Gardner used the moment to deflect blame and subtly throw his teammates under the bus. In contrast, Wilson took accountability when asked about the team’s struggles — a clear sign of which player carries the right mindset.

This isn't an isolated incident for Gardner, either. Just last week, the superstar cornerback refused to accept blame for his struggles this season, instead blaming the officiating for what he perceives to be unfair treatment by referees.

Gardner might’ve had a point if he’d directed his frustration at the officials after a series of questionable calls went against the Jets in Week 4. But he didn’t make it about his team — he rarely does.

Gardner instead took the opportunity to complain about the way he individually is officiated. That's not what a team leader does. In fact, that's not what any player on a winning team typically does.

This is despite the fact that Gardner is in the midst of his worst NFL season to date. The former Cincinnati star has received Pro Football Focus coverage grades below 60.0 in three consecutive games. He posted three games below 60.0 in all of 2024 and just one in 2023.

Yet, every time he's been asked about either his team's struggles or his own personal coverage woes, Gardner has deflected blame to external sources. Again, compare these responses to what Wilson says after every game.

Garrett Wilson has been one of the only bright spots on the Jets' roster this season. If there's any player who has a right to evade criticism and shift responsibility to others, it's probably him. But that's not who he is. That's not in his DNA.

Wilson is one of the few players on this Jets roster with he mindset required to play for a winning franchise. That's not to say others aren't capable of it, but for guys like Quinnen Williams, Breece Hall, and even Gardner, losing is all they have known at the NFL level.

It's on the coaching staff to instill a winning mentality and a sense of accountability in their players — that’s literally what Aaron Glenn was hired to do.

Unfortunately, Gardner’s comments over the past two weeks prove how far the Jets still have to go in that regard.

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