Sauce Gardner and Aaron Rodgers Drift Apart Ahead of New NFL Season

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner revealed on Tuesday that he and former teammate Aaron Rodgers have lost touch ahead of the upcoming NFL season. The two once shared a viral smoking handshake but are no longer in contact after Rodgers moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“We haven’t been in touch as much,” Gardner said. “At the beginning of the offseason, we were more in touch. I think once there was really a reality that he was going to go to Pittsburgh, we just felt that we didn’t need to talk no more. I’m sure we going to talk before that, and it’s going to be a good game.”

It remains unclear whether there was any falling out between the two players. Rodgers passed his physical on Saturday and officially signed a one-year deal valued at up to $19.5 million with the Steelers. He announced his intention to play his 20th season during an appearance on ESPN.

The close relationship between Gardner and Rodgers developed when the Green Bay Packers traded the four-time NFL MVP to the Jets ahead of the 2023 season. Their famous handshake, which mimicked smoking marijuana, captured public attention during Jets OTAs in June 2023.

In July 2023, Gardner presented Rodgers with a chain featuring the quarterback’s jersey number “8” adorned in green diamonds. Unfortunately, Rodgers’ 2023 season was marred by injury; he tore his Achilles just four plays into Week 1.

After recovering, Rodgers had a successful 2024 season, playing in all 17 games and achieving 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

During a recent Steelers minicamp, Rodgers addressed a question about a black ring he had worn several weeks prior, though he did not disclose details. Earlier, he mentioned dating a woman named Brittani but insisted that his wife’s identity would remain private.

The Jets struggled in the previous season, finishing with a 5-12 record and missing the playoffs.