From the moment he stepped on the field, Sauce Gardner quickly established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. His historic rookie campaign ended with Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, a First-Team All-Pro nod, and eighth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Despite not getting an interception, Sauce built on his impressive rookie year, earning his second First-Team All-Pro selection. Unfortunately, Sauce’s third season, along with the rest of the defense, was a bit disappointing.
Context is critical, however, as his “step back” was still an excellent season by most cornerbacks’ standards.