New York Jets star Sauce Gardner has shut down suggestions that he was slamming his own team in a social media dig over the weekend. 

The cornerback seemingly wants Tee Higgins to land a huge contract in the offseason but doesn’t want it to be the Jets handing out the deal. That’s according to his social media activity. 

Higgins, a Bengals wide receiver, posted a reel of his highlights from Cincinnati’s overtime win Saturday to Instagram at the weekend. 

Gardner took to the comment section to praise Higgins, as he posted, ‘PAY THE MAN,’ alongside a traffic light emoji. 

Another user replied in an attempt to encourage Gardner to recruit the Bengals star as they wrote: ‘Tell him to come to a Jets.’ 

Sauce Gardner shut down suggestions he was slamming the Jets with his reply to Tee Higgins

The cornerback replied to another user, claiming that he would not recruit Higgins to the Jets 

Gardner, however, wouldn’t be persuaded as he responded, ‘I will NOT be telling him that.’ 

The comment appeared to be a dig at the Jets, who have endured a miserable season this year. 

However, Gardner was quick to clarify his stance, claiming that his reasoning centered around New York’s existing wide receivers. 

‘We got G & Tae already so it’s no chance of it happening so that’s why I said ‘I will NOT tell him that,” Gardner wrote, referencing Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. 

Despite Adams’ arrival in New York in a trade in October, the Jets’ offense has failed to ignite this season. 

The Jets have slumped from a position of hope to playoff exile once again this year, with a record of 4-12. 

Their latest horror show came at the weekend, when they suffered a humiliating 40-14 defeat to the Buffalo Bills, practically cementing their position to land a top-10 draft pick. 

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‘Embarrᴀssing? I don’t even know if that’s the word,’ Gardner said of the loss postgame. 

‘[…] You’re telling me now it’s 40-0, like if you ask me that means like it’s the end of the season, obviously we’re not going to the playoffs, some people might be checked out.’ 

Meanwhile, Higgins caught 11 pᴀsses for 131 yards and three touchdowns during the Bengals’ 30-24 overtime victory over the Denver Broncos on Saturday to help keep Cincinnati’s narrow playoff chances alive. 

He was franchise tagged last offseason and refused to participate in mandatory minicamp as he searched for a long-term deal before eventually agreeing to a one-year deal back in Cincinnati.