The Seahawks had some fun during their news conference to announce Geno Smith’s new three-year, $105 million contract extension thanks in part to Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Gardner, who was recently named the NFL’s 2022 Defensive Rookie of Year, recently reflected on his rookie experience and pre-draft experience at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. The 22-year-old told the broadcast crew he was not a fan of his Seahawks’ experience because Seattle coach Pete Carroll stood “too close” to him and always cut him off when the two spoke with each other.
Seemingly as a result of Gardner’s comments, the Seahawks official Twitter account posted a tweet Thursday that included Smith holding his jersey in between Carroll and general manager John Schneider with the caption “Close and comfortable.”
The team’s shenanigans on Thursday come after Pete Carroll joined the conversation earlier in the week with a response to Gardner’s thoughts.
“Hey @NextGenStats a little help here? Trying to get a measurement between me and @iamSauceGardner,” Carroll tweeted.
With this awkward yet hilarious exchange, it’s disappointing that the two teams will not play each other in the 2023 regular season. If they did, it would be interesting to see if Carroll and Gardner ever crossed paths and more importantly, how close or how far apart the two would stand from each other at any given moment.
