The Athletic dropped a stunning take on the Jets’ Sauce Gardner trade

Sound the alarm and find your favorite “shocked” GIF that you’ve buried somewhere in your phone’s memes album.

For once, the national media isn’t picking on the New York Jets.

Whether it’s a First Take segment or a Monday morning blog post, the Jets are easy fodder for those in the football world.

It’s a role no organization wants to have, though at least the Jets typically aren’t alone.

Just ask new Rams superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett, who endured seven losing seasons over his nine years in Cleveland. The Browns ended the Garrett era with a bang on Monday in a move that has numerous ramifications for the Jets.

The Jets made similar moves last November, dealing All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner and veteran defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Colts and Cowboys, respectively.

When revisiting blockbuster trades involving defensive players, The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf touched on the Gardner trade and, surprisingly, elected not to criticize the Jets.

“Given how much help the Jets need all over the roster and the talent expected in the 2027 Draft,” Yousuf wrote, “New York got solid value for a cornerback who likely would have been aging out by the time the team would be contending.”

Yousuf’s story was published on Tuesday morning, several hours before Jets receiver Adonai Mitchell — who was acquired in the Gardner move — impressed during offseason workouts.

The Jets being praised for the Sauce Gardner trade is a strange sight

In all seriousness, Jets fans are so numb to being the butt of the joke that any level of kudos can feel odd.

Granted, Yousuf took a slight jab at the Jets in suggesting that Gardner will no longer be in his prime by the time they’re a playoff-caliber club again.

Gardner turns 26 in August, so it’s not ideal that Yousuf implied the Jets won’t be competitive for several more years.

Still, you take the wins where you can get them, and seeing a national media member not eviscerate the Jets is encouraging.

Even at the time, though, the reactions to the Gardner trade collectively felt more like a hybrid of shock and acceptance rather than shock and mockery.

But the same is true for the Garrett trade, in a way. Although the Browns’ rookie class impressed last year, the team is still searching for its franchise quarterback and just hired a new coach.

In short, we have officially reached a point where the Jets and Browns are regularly being commended for maximizing the value of their best players rather than keeping them around through prolonged rebuilds.

Forget a fourth-quarter rally — that alone might be the most impressive comeback you see from either team all season.

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