New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner called out a well-known NFL Twitter aggregator on Sunday afternoon.
This weekend, rumored Philadelphia mob boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino posted video of himself with Gardner on social media. Merlino called Gardner “the best defensive back in the NFL.”
A photo of the 23-year-old All-Pro shaking hands poolside with Merlino has been making the rounds.
“My main man @saucegardner stay tuned Podcast coming soon 🎙️🌶️🇮🇹 🏈,” Merlino wrote.
NFL aggregator Dov Kleiman reposted the photo and said that Gardner was “hanging out” with the alleged mafia don in Florida. Gardner challenged this description with a tweet of his own.
“Dov, it’s funny because I know that you know I wasn’t ‘hanging out’ with him. Rent must be due eh?” Gardner said.
To be fair, Kleiman is known for seeking engagement at all costs, and it’s very possible Merlino just wanted to show off by posting the video with Gardner.
After all, it doesn’t seem like the third-year pro and the reputed “John Gotti of Philadelphia” are overly buddy-buddy based on that short clip.
If we’re being honest, posing for a video with a mobster is still probably safer for Gardner than going out golfing in fierce rain and a lightning storm, which the 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year did recently, much to the concern of Jets fans.
Related: Jets Fans Concerned About Video Of Sauce Gardner Golfing In Rain