Aug 12, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets helmet on the sidelines against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

After apologizing for making an antisemitic comment on a livestream, New York Jets star Sauce Gardner is taking aim at the media.

“We really live in a world where if you clear something up, media outlets try to keep it from dying down and/or blow it up even more lol,” the third-year cornerback wrote. “It’s gotten more attention AFTER I cleared it up yesterday which is weird & I wasn’t forced to post anything; it was on my heart to do so.”

Gardner’s comments come one day after he took to X (formerly Twitter) to post an apology after telling popular streamer Adin Ross, who is Jewish, “y’all run the world.” In his apology, the Cincinnati product stated that he meant his comment to be a compliment, but now understands why the statement was considered offensive.

“I love all people. While my intentions were positive, I just learned that people use those exact words I shared for hate towards Jewish people,” Gardner wrote. “That is not what I am about and I appreciate those who took the time to educate me on that fact.”

The No. 4 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Gardner has enjoyed a stellar start to his professional career. In addition to being named the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the 23-year-old has earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections in each of his first two seasons with the Jets.

[Sauce Gardner on X]

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.