Sauce Gardner pushes back that his Tee Higgins comment wasn’t Jets jab

Coach Sauce Gardner would like to see Tee Higgins sign a huge contract in the offseason, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's trying to convince the star wideout to sign with the Jets.

When Higgins posted a highlight clip of his game-winning touchdown “Pay me,” Gardner wrote on Instagram Saturday from the Bengals' overtime thriller with a traffic light emoji.

Another user responded to Gardner's comment and tried to convince the Jets cornerback to “tell him to come to the Jets,” which resulted in Gardner saying, “I'm not going to tell him that.” I wrote it.

Initially, it appeared to serve as a jab at the Jets, who went from a preseason Super Bowl contender to a disappointing 4-12 record and were in position to land a top-10 draft pick.

Aaron Rodgers' experiment failed.

The trade for wide receiver Davante Adams didn't revitalize Gang Green's offense as much as expected.

And the decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh only brings the team's record under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich to 2-9.

But after the Jets' 40-14 loss to the Bills on Sunday, Gardner wrote on his Instagram Story that the comments on Higgins' post centered around the logic that the Jets already have two star receivers on the roster. I wrote that it is.

“That can't happen because G and Tay are already decided, so I said, 'I'm not going to tell him that,'” Gardner said, citing Garrett Wilson and Adams. ” he wrote.

Higgins caught 11 passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns in overtime between the Bengals and the Broncos on Saturday, keeping Cincinnati's slim postseason hopes alive.

He received the franchise tag last offseason, missed mandatory minicamp in search of a long-term deal, and ultimately signed a one-year deal.

Gardner was part of a Jets group that earned back-to-back first-team All-Pro honors to start his NFL career until he struggled at times in 2024, but once again stumbled in an undisciplined loss and lost to the Bills in 348. They gained yards, committed 16 penalties, and another disappointing chapter in their season begins.

“Embarrassing? I don't even know if that's the word,” Gardner said after the game. “…You say we're 40-0 right now, but to me it's like it's the end of the season, obviously we're not going to the playoffs and we're not going to get checked out. There may be some.”