The Jets won’t call Sass Gardner by his nickname just yet. Teammates say he has to earn it.

The New York Jets have an interesting rookie cornerback with an even more interesting nickname. Ahmad Gardner, known by the name “Sas”, was selected with no. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and is expected to make an immediate impact in Robert Saleh’s defense. “Sass” is a swaggy player who doesn’t lack confidence, but his new teammates aren’t accepting his nickname just yet.

During an interview with NFL Network, Jets veteran linebacker CJ Mosley said Gardner has yet to earn his nickname at the next level.

“We told him if he got two pick-sixes in the preseason, we could give him the sauce,” Mosley said. via NFL.com. “And it’s got to be against 1s, too, so no 2s, 3s, backups, all that stuff. More likely when he makes a big play in the regular season we’ll start calling him Sous.”

For now, Gardner is going by “AG” — what some coaches Saleh is also calling him.

“He’s got mentality and a chip on his shoulder. I’ve never seen a rookie talk so raw, but that’s a good thing,” Saleh said. “He’s an exciting young man. Love where he is mentally. He’s got a long way to go in terms of understanding the game and all that stuff, but he’s a sponge and he’s taking it all in. “

Gardner was a consensus All-American and AAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021, and it shouldn’t be long before he “earns back” his nickname. In fact, he loves the challenge, saying he “wouldn’t have it any other way.”