Trade Proposal Has Packers & Jets Swapping Former 1st-Round Picks

We already know Sauce Gardner looks good in green, but what about green and gold?

In an admittedly “wild” trade proposal, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports has the Green Bay Packers sending the New York Jets a package featuring guard Sean Rhyan, linebacker Quay Walker and a 2026 second-round pick in exchange for Gardner.

“These trades will almost certainly never come to fruition, but beyond the shock of the names included, they just might make some sense for all sides,” Benjamin wrote on July 7.

“The Packers may be content banking on their current secondary to offset the presence of Jaire Alexander, an All-Pro cover man when healthy. This is title-chasing time with Jordan Love, however, and Gardner is one of the best young players in the NFL, still awaiting a lucrative extension in New York.”

Breaking Down the Packers – Sauce Gardner Trade Proposal From CBS Sports

Getty| A CBS Sports trade proposal would send New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Green Bay Packers.

 

“After an aggressive play to deepen the receiving depth chart via the draft, the Pack could address the other boundary here, reinstituting some attitude to the cornerback spot at Lambeau,” Benjamin added.

“Yes, Gardner is already a cornerstone of the Jets defense, but perhaps new head coach Aaron Glenn would rather construct a unit of his own, auctioning Gardner while he’s still an ascending talent in order to flesh out the rest of the team. His former employer, the Lions, managed pretty well by first collecting assets in their own rebuild.”

From the Packers’ perspective, the idea is far-fetched—but undeniably intriguing. Acquiring a true shutdown cornerback like Gardner—who’s still only 24 years old—would instantly elevate the Packers’ pass defense and give them the kind of elite man-to-man coverage ability they’ve lacked since the peak of Alexander’s 2020 campaign.

The financial and developmental appeal is also clear. Gardner is still on his rookie deal, with the Jets having picked up his fifth-year option to keep him under contract through 2026. That gives any acquiring team two years of cost-controlled All-Pro-level performance at a time when top corners command upward of $20 million per year.

A Look at Gardner’s Career so Far

Drafted fourth overall by the Jets in 2022 after a standout collegiate career at Cincinnati, Gardner immediately made an impact. In his rookie season, he started all 17 games, tallied 75 total tackles, snagged two interceptions and led the league with 20 passes defensed. His performance earned him NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a First-Team All‑Pro selection—the first rookie cornerback to receive that accolade since Ronnie Lott in 1981.

In Year 2, Gardner continued his excellence: over 16 starts, he posted 57 combined tackles, 11 pass breakups and a forced fumble. He repeated as a First‑Team All‑Pro selection and established himself is one of the brightest young defensive backs in the NFL.

His 2024 season saw a modest dip in production. In 15 games, Gardner finished with 49 total tackles, nine pass breakups, one interception and one sack.

But despite how interesting the fit may be for the Pack, the trade is ultimately implausible. The Jets very likely have zero incentive in moving Gardner, who they view as a cornerstone of their defense.

Gardner is not only elite on the field, but he’s a cultural tone-setter in the locker room. So while the concept has merit from Green Bay’s point of view—both strategically and financially—it’s a move grounded more in imagination than reality. The Jets simply aren’t letting go of one of the league’s rarest defensive assets. Keep calm and carry on, Packers Nation.