July is the slowest sports month on the calendar, and the first few weeks are especially dead when it comes to NFL news. But thanks to Sauce Gardner and his reaction to a recent release of a ranking of the league’s cornerbacks, there is some spicy news to talk about on a mid-summer Tuesday.
Sauce Gardner Called Out By Former All-Pro Asante Samuel
The New York media will take your career to another level https://t.co/XkFnbmoynr
— Asante Samuel (@pick_six22) July 11, 2023
In a recent survey put on by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, league executives, coaches, players, and scouts were asked their opinions on certain subjects, including ranking the 10 best players at each of the 11 positions. It was a comprehensive collection of data done for ESPN’s 2023 NFL Preview, and is a solid gauge for how people around the league rate their peers.
On Tuesday, Dov Kleiman tweeted out the list of the top-10 cornerbacks that were selected, and there weren’t a whole lot of surprises. Pat Surtain II was given the top spot, followed by Sauce Gardner, Jalen Ramsey, and Jaire Alexander.
Former All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel took to his own Twitter account to give his thoughts on the list. He quote tweeted Kleiman, saying “That New York media will take your career to another level.”
Damnn you been on my one shit hella lately You gots to relax…. Me personally, I never been the hating type https://t.co/cEuoDpEQ4Z
— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) July 11, 2023
It was an obvious shot at Gardner. The now-second year pro is already considered one of the best in the game after being the first rookie cornerback to be named a First Team All-Pro since Ronnie Lott in 1981, and is a key piece to the Jets’ up-and-coming defense.
Samuel References Darrelle Revis And His Boost By New York Media
And I challenge myself to do the same thang. Along with my coaches. Ion need you “challenging” me to do nothin after all this sub tweeting you been doing when you could of just hit me privately like all the other OG’s do. Safety bro https://t.co/sVCacIUMDf
— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) July 11, 2023
But Samuel apparently thinks that Gardner is getting a boost from playing in the Big Apple and receiving the media attention that Jets players typically do. Samuel goes on to reply to a random response by referencing Darrelle Revis and how his career was aided in a similar fashion.
Gardner caught wind of the shade being thrown, and gave a quote tweet himself, telling Samuel to “relax”. Samuel then challenged Gardner, asking him to turn some of those pass break-ups into interceptions, to which Gardner confirms that he needs no challenging.
The beef seems to be on going as the two are actively responding to each other at the time of writing.