By Dianna Russini, James Boyd and Zack Rosenblatt
The Indianapolis Colts are acquiring cornerback Sauce Gardner in a trade with the New York Jets, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Monday, hours before the team’s in-season trade deadline.
Per a league source, Indianapolis will send two first-round picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell to New York in exchange for Gardner, who is a two-time first-team All-Pro.
BREAKING: The Colts are acquiring Jets corner Sauce Gardner, per source. pic.twitter.com/aAByLLq5vc
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) November 4, 2025
Gardner, 25, was a first-round selection by the Jets in 2022. Minutes before news of the trade dropped, Gardner wrote in a post on X, “New York it’s been real.”
Jets make shocking move after record deal
This is an absolute stunner. The Jets signed Gardner to a record-breaking deal this summer and made it clear, with their actions and their words, that they viewed him as a cornerstone player as a new regime took over. There weren’t any rumblings or even an inkling that the Jets had soured on him or were shopping him around — but ultimately general manager Darren Mougey decided that two additional first-round picks from the Colts brought more value to the team than an All-Pro caliber cornerback.
This trade is a sign that the Jets are deciding to tear it down amid a 1-7 start to the season and start to plan for the future — a future without arguably their best player.
Gardner hasn’t put up the dominant stats you’d want for a star cornerback (zero interceptions this season, one in 2024), but those stats don’t tell the whole story. Gardner was averaging 20.9 snaps per reception this season — the best mark of all qualifying corners in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, and 9.5 snaps per target ranked 11th. That means Gardner was rarely getting targeted — and when he was, he rarely let up any receptions. — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets writer
Colts take different approach to trade deadline
The Colts’ acquisition of Gardner is in stark contrast to GM Chris Ballard’s typically conservative approach to the in-season trade deadline. Before landing Gardner, Ballard had only made one in-season trade through the first eight years of his tenure, and that lone deal was when running back Nyheim Hines requested to be dealt in 2022. Year 9, however, appears to be the season that Ballard is going all in.
After an 8-9 finish in 2024, the Colts are off to a 7-2 start in 2025 and are currently atop the AFC standings. Indianapolis was already poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and win its first AFC South title since 2014. Yet, the Colts wouldn’t part ways with two first-round picks for a cup of coffee in the postseason. This move solidifies their belief that they can go on a Super Bowl run, and the idea that they’re perhaps one player away from maximizing a campaign that has largely shocked the NFL. — James Boyd, Colts writer
