As the Jets head into Week 1, one familiar sight will remain in place: a New York cornerback wearing No. 1. The twist is that, for the first time since 2021, it won’t be Sauce Gardner.
That number now belongs to second-year corner Azareye’h Thomas, who wore No. 23 as a rookie before making the switch this offseason. And Thomas knows exactly what comes with it.
On “The Official Jets Podcast,” he didn’t duck the conversation or pretend the number means nothing. Gardner, who is now with the Colts, built the kind of résumé that makes No. 1 carry real weight in New York, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 and earning two All-Pro selections.
"I'm gonna make my own shoes to fill," Thomas said.
"I'm not Sauce, I'm not anybody else out there,” Thomas added. “I'm Azareye'h Thomas. I'm AZ Thomas."
That’s the right answer, and Jets fans should appreciate it. A jersey number doesn’t make a player, but when you take over a number tied to one of the most recognizable defenders of the post-Darrelle Revis era, people are going to notice. Thomas isn’t pretending otherwise.
He also made clear that he understands the difference between wearing No. 1 and living up to it.
"It's a different type of pressure, a different set of expectations when you walk out there and you're number one," Thomas said. "If you're number one, you're number one and you got to play like it.”
That’s the kind of answer fans usually want and rarely get. Not the polished media line, not the overcooked bravado. Just a player acknowledging the standard and embracing it.
For now, though, the Jets and Colts won’t cross paths in the regular season. The only chance for Thomas to line up against Gardner this year would come in the postseason. The AFC East doesn’t play the AFC South in intra-conference matchups, so the Jets will see the AFC West instead.
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That kind of projection makes sense in a scheme built to stop the run, where Sweat is expected to line up as a nose tackle and anchor a front that leans on three defensive linemen. There is still plenty to prove, of course, but the appeal is obvious: if Glenns style can unlock the version of Sweat the Jets believe they are getting, New York may have found a defender whose ceiling changes the way the rest of the front is viewed. [Read more 🡒]