A short practice rep turned into a social media spectacle on Tuesday, but Sauce Gardner wasn’t having it for long.
A viral clip from Indianapolis Colts joint practice showed Gardner in coverage on New England Patriots wide receiver AJ Brown, with Brown winning the rep. The play itself appeared to be little more than a short route that would have gone for no more than 10 yards in a game, but the post still sparked plenty of reaction online.
Gardner saw it, and he answered after practice with a blunt response: "All this from a 1on1? (laughing emoji) & a 8 yard sit route at that? (There's) a reason that's the only one y'all saw (sleeping and lock emoji)."
The point was obvious. One practice rep, especially in a joint session, doesn’t tell the whole story. Even if Brown won that snap, Gardner almost certainly had his own wins in the same workout, and those didn’t make the rounds on social media.
That’s part of what made the whole thing feel so overblown. The Patriots draw a bigger spotlight than Indianapolis, and the NFL’s online conversation tends to follow the biggest markets and the loudest personalities. A single clip can suddenly become a statement when it really shouldn’t be.
Gardner eventually deleted his post, but the message was already clear. There was no reason to turn one short-route rep into a referendum on either player.
And there’s no doubt both corners of the matchup have real talent. AJ Brown is a fantastic wide receiver and will probably be good with the New England Patriots.
Sauce Gardner is also a fantastic player and will likely be terrific with the Colts. If they meet in a real game, each will probably get the better of the other at least once.
That’s when it matters. Not in a practice clip.
Not in a viral post. In the games, where the reps actually count.
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