New York Jets star cornerback Sauce Gardner caused a stir when he missed several plays in Monday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, but he took to social media to say the story was being blown out of proportion.

Gardner, who told reporters after the Jets’ 32-19 loss that he ran out of air after tackling 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel, reiterated his stance and fired back at those who questioned his sincerity in a now-deleted tweet:

“So let me get this straight: you guys really think I attacked Deebo and just said something like ‘man, Ian don’t do that anymore’ and took myself out of the game? 😂 Whatever happened was temporary and when it was over I got back in lol. It’s that simple.”

Gardner was benched for a stretch in the second quarter, but the Jets told ESPN’s Lisa Salters that his absence from the field was not due to injury. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy took advantage of the two-time All-Pro player’s timeout by completing six straight passes to put San Francisco in field goal position.

After the game, Gardner explained his absence to reporters: “I made a tackle, I just had to catch my breath. I just had to shake myself. When I felt I was OK, I went back on the field.”

Gardner finished Monday’s loss with three tackles and a sack. The 49ers totaled 401 yards of offense against a Jets defense that was one of the best in the NFL.

In addition to New York’s problems on defense, the team also struggled to find consistency on offense and move the ball. Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, playing his first game since tearing his Achilles tendon in the 2023 season opener, totaled 167 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 13 of 21 passes.

The Jets still have plenty of time to fix the issues and live up to their expectations of being a team with championship potential. New York will look to get back on track when it faces the Tennessee Titans in Week 2.