The Indianapolis Colts are going for it.
The New York Jets have traded star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts, NFL Media first reported and later confirmed by FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer. Indianapolis will give up two first-round picks (2026 and 2027) plus wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, Glazer reported.
Gardner confirmed the move on social media around the time it was reported that the trade went down.
“New York it’s been real,” Gardner wrote in a post with a green heart emoji.
The move might be one of the most surprising trades in recent NFL memory. Ahead of the trade deadline, there weren’t any rumors of the Jets shopping Gardner around ahead of the trade deadline. The Jets also gave Gardner a four-year, $120.4 million extension with $85.6 million in guaranteed money in July, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
However, Gardner and the Jets have gotten out to a poor start. They entered trade deadline day with a 1-7 record and were the last team in the NFL to pick up a win this season.
Jets trade Sauce Gardner to the Colts, Is this a good trade?
The Colts, meanwhile, have been one of the league’s biggest surprises this season and are tied for the league’s best record at 7-2. They had discussions with another team for a cornerback in the lead-up to Tuesday’s trade deadline and thought they had a deal in place before talks fell through, Glazer reported.
The pivot allowed the Colts to get one of the game’s top corners. Gardner, 25, was named first-team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons in the league and won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022.
So far this season, Gardner’s recorded 20 total tackles and six passes defended. He’s yet to record an interception in seven games, but has allowed just 10 receptions on 22 targets for 170 yards when opposing quarterbacks have targeted him this season, per Pro Football Focus.
Gardner missed the Jets’ Week 8 win over the Cincinnati Bengals due to a concussion. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Monday that Gardner was among three players who were completing the concussion protocol coming out of the Jets’ bye-week break and was expected to return to practice this week.
For the Colts, Gardner should at least improve their pass defense, which has been one of their few weaknesses to this point. Indianapolis ranks 26th in pass defense this season as the Colts rank 16th in total defense, but eighth in scoring defense.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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