Jets Reportedly Trade Sauce Gardner In NFL Trade Deadline Blockbuster

The New York Jets did the unthinkable on Tuesday.

New York, waiving the white flag on its season and kickstarting another rebuild, traded cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.

Indianapolis will send wide receiver AD Mitchell and first-round picks in both 2026 and 2027 in return, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Gardner, 25, was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and quickly became one of the better cornerbacks in the league by racking up consecutive Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro nominations in his first two seasons. New York rewarded his stellar play with a four-year, $120 million contract extension this past offseason — which will now be played out in Indianapolis.

A blockbuster, indeed.

Gardner’s play dipped this season, but not to the level that anyone expected him to be dealt just hours before the deadline. The Jets had several players mentioned in trade rumors, but their start cornerback was never one of them.

The Colts clearly view this season as the opening to their Super Bowl window, and at 7-2, are essentially in the driver’s seat in the AFC.

The Jets, on the other hand, appear willing to completely tear things down at 1-7.