Jets’ Sauce Gardner aces guest appearance on NFL Combine telecast

You can never have enough sauce.

Jets cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, who won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 for a first-team All-Pro selection, has already established himself as one of the brightest figures in the NFL. From donning a cheesehead after defeating the Packers to befriending superstars like Kevin Durant, the sky seems to be the limit for Gardner’s crossover appeal.

A year after starring on the NFL Combine, Gardner returned to Indianapolis on Friday, this time as a guest speaker. He appeared during NFL Network’s defensive back exercise coverage and sat between Rich Eisen and Daniel Jeremiah.

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Gardner dropped an array of gems as he showcased his football brains and personality. With his characteristic cheeky humor he even broke up some of the monotony of the exercises.

He also dove into his story box, telling Eisen and Jeremiah about his pre-draft interview with Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. Suffice it to say it was quite entertaining:

That was not all. Gardner planted a flag in the sand for Mississippi State cornerback Emannuel Forbes. Some doubt the future prospects of the 166-pound Forbes, but Gardner is not among them. He uttered a few words of encouragement.

Forbes shone in the 40-yard dash, posting the combined third-best time (4.35 seconds) of all defenders. Talk about calling your shot.

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Gardner put his football brains on display again as he ran Oklahoma punter Michael Turk on the sidelines. Gardner predicted Turk’s 40th time to within 1/100th of a second, quite an impressive feat all things considered.

The good times continued throughout the day. Gardner recalled his combine, which he crowned with the tenderest kisses to the crowd. Let’s just say Eisen and Jeremiah seemed delighted with his account of the day.

Eisen, an unabashed Jets fan, shared an unusually strong chemistry with Gardner. The duo even posed for a selfie that seems to be destroying the internet. Check out all the ice Gardner wears; he was never caught deficient.

Overall, it was a 10/10 performance for Gardner, who displayed all the tools to be a capable television actor in the future. Football may be his calling, but calling football doesn’t seem too far off, especially after his appearance in the dressing room.