Could a new chapter in the Jets-Giants rivalry be taking shape? If so, Sauce Gardner and Malik Nabers may be at the center of it.
During the teams’ joint practice this week — a session largely “won” by the Jets’ defense — the highly anticipated matchup between Gardner and Nabers didn’t see much direct action. But the spirit of competition was alive and well. After the practice ended, Gardner stayed on his side of the field but still moved toward the Giants’ sideline, waving goodbye with a playful grin. The two teams are set to meet again Saturday night in their final preseason game at MetLife Stadium.
“We were just having fun out there,” Gardner told reporters. “Two New York teams — we all know each other pretty much outside of football. We were just having fun with it. … It was all love, nothing disrespectful. At the end of the day, we’re all competing, being competitive.”
Nabers, the Giants’ sixth overall pick in April’s draft, responded with respect toward the Jets’ performance.
“They can do that,” Nabers said of Gardner’s post-practice waves. “I mean, they won on the day. Their defense came out, executed well. We beat ourselves today.”
It was a spirited, but good-natured exchange between two young NFL stars — Gardner, already a two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro in his first two seasons, and Nabers, just beginning to make his mark in the league.
As both players continue to grow, Jets and Giants fans alike might be treated to plenty more memorable matchups — and maybe even a new layer of heat in New York’s football rivalry.
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