Colts CB Sauce Gardner Clarifies Age
If you look up Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner on sites like ESPN.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com, you will notice they list his date of birth as Aug. 31, 2000. That would mean the two-time first-team All-Pro is 25 years old. Fake news, according to Gardner, who told James Boyd of The Athletic he was born Aug. 31, 2001.
“I’m 24!” the four-year veteran said. “It’s crazy that I’m even being asked this.”
The Colts confirmed to Boyd that Gardner’s passport lists Aug. 31, 2001, as his birthday. The NFL was also already aware of Gardner’s correct age before he informed Boyd.
In an email to Boyd, chief spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote: “Clubs notify us of any incorrect birthdates that would have appeared on their college sites when a player signs. Players also self-verify their birthdates and other personal information through a player portal.”
While Boyd was unable to find the original source of Gardner’s false date of birth, we now know he will turn 25 just under two weeks before the Colts open their season against the Ravens on Sept. 13. It will be the first full season in Indianapolis for Gardner, whom the Colts acquired from the Jets for two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell before last November’s deadline. The Colts were 7-2 at the time and vying for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but the gamble did not yield the desired results.
Gardner dealt with a calf injury and played just four games after the trade, while three concussions ruined fellow starting cornerback Charvarius Ward‘s season. Gardner and Ward looked like one of the league’s top corner tandems on paper when Colts general manager Chris Ballard swung the trade, but they only played together for parts of three games. Those were just a couple of several key injuries for the Colts, who lost seven of eight to finish 8-9 and extend their playoff drought to five years. The Colts will expect better this season with Gardner, Ward and quarterback Daniel Jones among notable players returning from injuries.
On what he wants to accomplish this season, Gardner told Boyd: “All-Pro, Pro Bowl, all of that good stuff. Team goals? Just getting to the playoffs because that’s one thing I haven’t done. And getting a ‘chip.”
Colts To Place DT DeForest Buckner On IR; Sauce Gardner To Return In Week 17
DeForest Buckner returned in Week 16, coming back after a lengthy absence. A durable player throughout his Indianapolis stay, the veteran defensive tackle will not play the rest of the way.
The Pro Bowl presence aggravated his neck injury and is heading back to IR, Shane Steichen said Friday (via Fox 59’s Mike Chappell). The Colts do not expect this to threaten Buckner’s 2026 season, but he will be shut down. Surgery will be required on Buckner’s disk herniation before a return commences this time, Steichen said.
[RELATED: Philip Rivers To Remain Colts’ Starter For Week 17]
Indianapolis activated Buckner from IR ahead of its Week 16 Monday-nighter; he returned to his place in the team’s starting lineup and played nearly 67% of the Colts’ defensive snaps. Buckner rehabbed without surgery to return against the 49ers, but the ex-San Francisco first-round pick will be unable to finish out a last-ditch Indianapolis playoff push.
On a better injury note for the Colts as they cling to wild-card hopes, Sauce Gardner is expected to return from a calf injury that cost him three games. Gardner and left tackle Bernhard Raimann are expected back against the Jaguars, per Steichen (via Chappell).
The Colts’ Gardner trade has not panned out like the team hoped. After being squarely on track for their first playoff berth since 2020, the Colts sent the Jets two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Jets for the All-Pro cornerback. Gardner played in three Colts games before going down, and Indianapolis has sunk to 8-7. Daniel Jones‘ presence represented part of the team’s equation in acquiring Gardner, as a first-round pick was unlikely to be deemed necessary to add another starter-level QB. Jones has since suffered an Achilles tear. Although Indianapolis is still interested in re-signing him, another major injury complicates the veteran arm’s path.
Gardner and Raimann, who is coming back from an elbow injury that cost him a game, signed lucrative four-year extensions this summer. Gardner, of course, signed his re-up as a Jet; the Colts inked their left tackle to a deal just before the season. Buckner, 31, is tied to a deal he signed in 2024. The 10-year veteran’s two-year, $46MM contract includes a $10MM guarantee for 2026. The Colts would take on $20.8MM in dead money if they do not retain Buckner, who has been with the team since a March 2020 trade.
Colts Activate DT DeForest Buckner
DECEMBER 22: As expected, Buckner has been activated in time for tonight’s game. The Colts announced that move, along with the corresponding transaction of waiving quarterback Brett Rypien. That suggests Riley Leonard will be healthy as a backup option for Rivers’ second start of the year.
DECEMBER 20: A neck injury forced Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to IR on Nov. 7. After a five-game absence, Buckner will return Monday against the 49ers, head coach Shane Steichen announced (via Adam Schefter of ESPN).
The Colts were 7-2 and vying for the No. 1 seed in the AFC when Buckner went down. Major injuries to Buckner, quarterback Daniel Jones, and cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward have knocked their season off course over the past month and a half.
Now 8-6, the Colts suffered their fourth straight loss in a nail-biter in Seattle last Sunday. That spoiled Philip Rivers‘ comeback start and dealt another blow to the Colts’ fading playoff hopes. They’re eighth in the conference with tough contests remaining against San Francisco (Buckner’s ex-team), Jacksonville, and Houston. Those clubs have gone a combined 29-13.
A playoff berth looks unlikely for the Colts, but getting Buckner back should better their chances of a miraculous rally. That’s assuming the herniated disc in Buckner’s neck doesn’t hinder him during the next few weeks. He had to consider his long-term health before deciding to return, per Mike Chappell of FOX59. Buckner traveled for treatment in Panama City, Panama, where he received stem cell injections.
“It’s one of those injuries that’s very serious,’’ Buckner said. “It’s definitely a heavy burden on myself making the decision.’’
Before that issue cropped up, the three-time Pro Bowler continued to produce stellar results. He logged 42 tackles (including nine for loss), 18 quarterback hurries, 11 QB hits, and four sacks in his first nine games this year. Pro Football Focus ranks his 2025 performance 11th among 126 qualifying interior D-linemen.
While the Colts’ front is welcoming back Buckner, their secondary will continue to go without Gardner. A calf injury will shelve Gardner for the third game in a row, but Steichen said he’ll play again this year (via James Boyd of The Athletic).
General manager Chris Ballard made an ultra-aggressive move in sending two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Jets for Gardner at the Nov. 4 trade deadline. The Colts had designs on Gardner and Ward forming an elite corner duo. Injuries have prevented it from happening, though, as they’ve played in just two games together (losses to the Chiefs and Texans).
After Ward suffered his third concussion of 2025, the Colts placed him on IR on Dec. 10. Ward’s regular season is over, but the Colts are holding out hope Gardner will return in Week 17 or 18.
Colts Open DeForest Buckner’s Practice Window
DECEMBER 11: Buckner revealed on Thursday (via Chappell) that he has been dealing with a herniated disc in his neck pressing against a nerve. If the issue is not resolved, surgery will be a possibility in the future. For now, the Colts will hope to have him available for the final four games of the season.
DECEMBER 10: The Colts have gone without defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, one of their most important players, for four straight games. Buckner is now working toward a return from IR. The Colts opened his 21-day practice window on Wednesday, Mike Chappell of FOX 59 relays.
Buckner, who last played in a loss to the Steelers in Week 9, has been on the shelf with a neck injury for a month. The Colts were 7-2 when Buckner went down, but they have lost three of four without him. Once the top seed in the AFC, 8-5 Indianapolis has dropped to eighth during what has been an injury-plagued several weeks.
Quarterback Daniel Jones is out for the season after tearing his Achilles in a loss to the Jaguars last Sunday. Starting cornerback Charvarius Ward went on IR with his third concussion of the season on Wednesday, and fellow top CB Sauce Gardner seems likely to miss his second game in a row with a calf injury this Sunday. Gardner will not practice Wednesday, according to Chappell.
While the Colts’ defense won’t have Ward for the rest of the regular season, it could welcome back Buckner sometime in the next 21 days. The three-time Pro Bowler, 31, was enjoying another standout campaign before he went on IR. Buckner has notched 42 tackles, nine TFL, and four sacks in nine games. Despite a lengthy absence, he’s still tied for second among Colts in sacks, trailing only Laiatu Latu‘s 5.5. Pro Football Focus ranks Buckner as the league’s 12th-best interior D-lineman of 2025.
In the wake of Jones’ injury, it’s unclear who will quarterback the Colts for the rest of the season. Newly signed Philip Rivers, brought out of retirement at age 44, sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard, and journeyman Brett Rypien are their options. Considering the Colts’ questions at QB and a daunting slate of remaining opponents in the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans, their chances of rallying for a playoff spot appear slim. Getting Buckner back would improve their odds.
Colts Place Charvarius Ward On IR, Announce Philip Rivers Signing
The Colts have placed cornerback Charvarius Ward on IR for the second time this season and announced the signing of quarterback Philip Rivers to their practice squad. The team also signed quarterback Brett Rypien and kicker Blake Grupe from its practice squad to its 53-man roster.
With four games remaining, Ward’s regular season is over as a result of his third concussion of 2025. He may have a chance to return if the Colts qualify for the playoffs, but the club is on the outside of the bracket heading into Week 15. Once 7-1, the Colts have fallen to 8-5.
Ward, a former Chief and 49er, joined the Colts on a three-year deal worth up to $60MM last March. The move has paid off when Ward has been healthy enough to play. The 29-year-old has totaled 25 tackles and seven passes defensed in seven games (all starts), and Pro Football Focus ranks him as the sixth-best cornerback of 2025.
Ward’s latest concussion means the Colts will have to go without their top two cornerbacks for at least some portion of their four-game closing stretch. The team took an enormous gamble at the Nov. 4 trade deadline in sending two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Jets for star corner Sauce Gardner.
Quarterback Daniel Jones was healthy and enjoying a career season around the deadline, leading general manager Chris Ballard to take a home run swing for Gardner. Things have not gone according to plan since then. Jones is now done for the season after tearing his Achilles in a loss to the Jaguars last Sunday. The 44-year-old Rivers, who retired after 2020, may replace Jones down the stretch in a last-ditch effort to save the Colts’ season.
Before Jones went down for the year, Gardner strained his calf in his third game as a Colt, a Week 13 loss to the Texans. Gardner missed Week 14, and he’s likely to sit out again this Sunday in Seattle, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. At the earliest, Gardner could return Week 16 against the 49ers.
With Ward out of commission and the Colts waiting for Gardner to come back, they’re down to Kenny Moore, Jaylon Jones, Mekhi Blackmon, Johnathan Edwards, and Cameron Mitchell at corner. It’s a harsh development ahead of a meeting with the 10-3 Seahawks, who boast the NFL’s ninth-ranked passing attack. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, easily the league leader in receiving yards, won’t have to contend with Ward or Gardner.
Turning back to the offensive side, Rypien could at least serve as a backup option this week. Sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard is dealing with a PCL sprain that could force him to miss the game. Assuming the Colts elevate Rivers from their practice squad, Leonard’s absence would leave him and Rypien as the team’s choices under center. The 29-year-old Rypien, who joined the Colts’ taxi squad in mid-October, has combined for 17 appearances and six starts with the Broncos, Rams, and Bengals.
Grupe, a Dec. 2 practice squad pickup, has taken over at kicker since the Colts cut Michael Badgley after Week 13. Despite sloppy conditions in Jacksonville, Grupe hit both of his field goal attempts and converted his lone extra point last Sunday. Grupe, who began 2025 with the Saints, has gone 20 of 28 on field goals and 16 for 16 on PATs in 12 games this year.
Colts CB Sauce Gardner Suffers Calf Strain
DECEMBER 3: The Colts aren’t expected to place Gardner on IR, according to Rapoport and Pelissero. The team is hopeful he’ll return sometime in the next four weeks.
DECEMBER 1: With the MRI having taken place, Pelissero and colleague Ian Rapoport confirm Gardner suffered a calf strain. He is week-to-week as a result, with the Colts hoping Gardner will be able to return by the end of the regular season.
NOVEMBER 30: Sauce Gardner exited the Colts’ Week 13 game and was unable to return. The high-profile trade acquisition could be in store for missed time, although the worst-case scenario appears to have been avoided. 
Gardner was unable to put weight on his left leg as he made his way to the sidelines upon suffering the injury. He was initially listed by the team as questionable to return with a calf ailment, but the Colts later confirmed he was out for the remainder of Sunday’s contest. Gardner was in a walking boot on the sidelines as he watched the end of the game.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports a calf strain is believed to have occurred in this case. Critically, he adds Gardner’s Achilles appears to be intact. The All-Pro corner has since confirmed (via ESPN’s Stephen Holder) he feels he is dealing with a strain rather than a tear of any kind. Further testing will take place, including an MRI. At this point, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Colts expect to be without Gardner for “a couple weeks.”
Needless to say, any notable missed time for Gardner would represent a major blow to the Colts. Indianapolis gave the Jets two first-round picks along with receiver Adonai Mitchell to acquire him at the trade deadline. The 25-year-old – under contract at a record-breaking cornerback rate of $30.1MM per year through the 2030 season – is obviously a major part of the team’s plans now and for several years to come.
The Gardner acquisition has been viewed as an indication the Colts see themselves as being inside a Super Bowl window with a core of many returning players along with free agent signing Daniel Jones. Indianapolis’ new starting quarterback is not full healthy himself, although he is in line to continue playing through a fractured fibula. A run of availability in the secondary down the stretch would be welcomed by the Colts given the injuries they have dealt with in that department this season.
Indianapolis’ loss on Sunday dropped the team to 8-4. That record matches that of the Jaguars, who won today. Meanwhile, the Texans now sit at 7-5. Gardner’s health down the stretch will be something to watch closely as the Colts attempt to close out what has become a three-way race for top spot in the AFC South.
Latest On Sauce Gardner Trade; Jets HC Aaron Glenn’s Job Is Safe
The Jets’ deadline trade sending cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts in exchange for a 2026 first-rounder, a 2027 first-rounder, and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell caught many by surprise. However, the foundation for those types of deals is typically laid well in advance of the agreement itself. That is exactly what happened here, as multiple reporters, including Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic (subscription required), detail that the framework of the Gardner deal – and the other swaps New York made – began to take shape in Week 4.
At that time, GM Darren Mougey and his staff began to hold weekly meetings to discuss, among other things, the trade value of each player on the roster. The idea was to avoid recency bias as the November 4 deadline approached and other clubs began making trade offers.
So, although ESPN’s Rich Cimini says the Jets never intended to move Gardner – whom they signed to a four-year, $120.4MM contract extension in July – they did establish what it would take to consider trading him if an offer came in. Per Cimini and Albert Breer of SI.com, that price was indeed two first-rounders and a quality player.
After the Colts’ Week 6 victory over the Cardinals improved their record to 5-1, Breer says Indianapolis’ assistant GM, Ed Dodds, placed calls around the league seeking CB help (Charvarius Ward suffered a concussion prior to the Arizona contest and landed on injured reserve as a result, and rookie Justin Walley sustained a season-ending ACL tear in August). Dodds’ efforts led him to Mougey, who indicated he would listen to offers on anyone on the roster, even if he was not actively looking to trade certain players.
Mougey and Colts GM Chris Ballard then discussed the possibility of a Gardner trade. While Cimini says Ballard initially balked at the asking price, Mougey himself noted Indianapolis’ offers “kept getting richer and richer.” The Colts inquired on the Giants’ Deonte Banks (per Cimini) and the Saints’ Alontae Taylor (as previously reported), but Gardner is on an entirely different tier.
As Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon put it during a conversation with Ballard on the eve of the deadline, “[d]o you want to Band-Aid [the cornerback position] or fix it for the long-term?” (via Breer). When Ballard explained how valuable Gardner could be, particularly considering the importance of CBs in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s scheme, Irsay-Gordon agreed the long-term fix was the right choice.
According to Cimini, the Jets were emphatic about including Mitchell in the trade. Breer adds Indianapolis grew increasingly amenable to moving the 2024 second-rounder, who had become an afterthought in the team’s offense. With the Jets high on Mitchell and the Colts prepared to move on, all of the pieces for the Gardner trade were in place.
Of course, Gardner was not the only elite defender Mougey jettisoned at the deadline. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was sent to the Cowboys in a swap that netted the Jets DT Mazi Smith, a 2026 second-rounder, and the higher of Dallas’ two 2027 first-rounders. Per Breer, Mougey knew the Cowboys would not give back everything they had gotten in the offseason Micah Parsons trade, which is one of the reasons why the GM began to consider a first-rounder in 2027 instead of 2026. The other reason is that he and his staff believe the ‘27 draft class offers more promise than the ‘26 crop. Now, thanks to the Gardner and Williams deals, the Jets have three first-round selections (including their own) in a year they consider to be rife with quality prospects.
Both Brian Costello of the New York Post and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network write that head coach Aaron Glenn was heavily involved in the trade discussions, which bolsters Rapoport’s report that Glenn will not be a one-and-done coach. Owner Woody Johnson recently called Glenn “the real deal,” and sources tell Rapoport that Glenn will not be judged by the Jets’ 2025 record and will be given a chance to guide the club through its rebuild.
Johnson has a history of being something of a meddlesome owner, but Cimini suggests that was not the case at this year’s deadline. Instead, when his first-year GM and HC told him of the plan to trade Gardner mere months after authorizing a lucrative extension for him, Johnson simply reaffirmed his faith in his top power brokers.
Colts Pursued Saints CB Alontae Taylor
The Colts entered Tuesday determined to address an injury-riddled cornerback group before the trade deadline, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. General manager Chris Ballard succeeded in pulling off a pre-deadline stunner, acquiring star corner Sauce Gardner from the Jets for two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
The Jets unexpectedly parted with Gardner just a handful of months after inking him to a four-year, $120.1MM extension in July. Had the Jets gone forward with Gardner as a member of their core, the Colts may have had a far less splashy contingency plan in Saints corner Alontae Taylor. The Colts had interest in Taylor, per Fowler, who’s of the belief the 26-year-old could have wound up in Indianapolis had it failed to reel in Gardner.
Taylor drew interest from multiple clubs leading up to the deadline, but New Orleans didn’t find an offer to its liking. One team in the market for help at corner told Fowler the Saints wanted an early Day 3 pick for Taylor, a pending free agent.
A report last week indicated the Saints were seeking a Day 2 pick for Taylor. They may have dropped their price in hopes of finding a taker. Regardless, no one bit, leaving Taylor to finish 2025 with the Saints before a potential trip to the open market.
With Gardner now in the fold, the plan is for him and Charvarius Ward to eventually comprise the Colts’ long-term one-two punch at corner. Ward has been on IR with a concussion since Oct. 18, though, and will miss this Sunday’s game in Berlin against the Falcons.
Gardner is also dealing with a concussion, which kept him out of the Jets’ win over the Bengals in Week 8, but he’ll practice on Wednesday (via Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com). Head coach Shane Steichen said “the plan” is for Gardner to make his Colts debut this week if he clears concussion protocol. With the Jets on a bye last week, Gardner hasn’t suited up since Oct. 19.
Jets Trade CB Sauce Gardner To Colts
The Colts have been in the market for cornerback help; they are not skimping on price. A deal is in place that will send Sauce Gardner from New York to Indianapolis, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
The Jets will move on months after making Gardner the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback. Indianapolis will send two first-round picks to the Jets for Gardner, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Gardner already thanked the Jets (via X), as his through-2030 contract is moving to the Colts’ payroll. The picks are in 2026 and 2027.
[RELATED: Examining Jets’ Trade Aftermath]
Indianapolis was believed to be discussing a deal with another team, according to Fox’s Jay Glazer, who adds the Colts believed they had a separate trade done. That proved not to be the case. This unknown agreement falling through has led to one of the biggest DB trades in NFL history going down. Glazer adds wide receiver Adonai Mitchell is going back to the Jets in this trade. We heard earlier today Mitchell, who had been a Colts backup, was drawing trade interest. The Jets are picking up a wideout with team control through 2027.
This is a wildly out-of-character move for Colts GM Chris Ballard, who has shied away from pricey outside acquisitions during his nine-year tenure. But this offseason brought a shift. Ballard made good on a promise to be more open to outside spending, paying up for Charvarius Ward and Camryn Bynum. Indianapolis, which already has Kenny Moore on a high-end slot CB contract, has now flooded its secondary with expensive contracts.
Other teams called the Jets on Gardner, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz. It had appeared Gardner was untouchable, as the Jets had extended him in July. But the 1-7 team will aggressively lean into a rebuild, with the two first-rounders becoming lead assets in the Aaron Glenn-Darren Mougey regime’s effort to return the Jets to contention. Gardner is believed to have been stunned by this trade, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, who indicates the young corner learned of it shortly after noon ET today. He is certainly not the only one shocked by the Jets’ course change here.
Gardner and Garrett Wilson loomed as the top pieces to trade, if the Jets were serious about obtaining top draft capital, but lower-level moves — like deals involving Michael Carter II, Quincy Williams and Allen Lazard — were rumored. The team was believed to be listening on Quinnen Williams, but a trade is not viewed as likely. Now, however, the Jets certainly appear more open to blowing it up.
The Jets drafted Gardner fourth overall in 2022 and watched the Cincinnati alum become a central piece in a defensive turnaround. Robert Saleh‘s first defense ranked last; his second, with Gardner as a boundary stopper, rocketed to fourth. Other reasons existed for the ascent, but Gardner represented the biggest variable. Gardner soared to first-team All-Pro acclaim during his first two seasons, becoming one of the NFL’s premier cornerbacks. That did not result in Jets wins, but Joe Douglas‘ miss on Zach Wilson limited a well-built defense’s impact.
Gardner, 25, also did not match his 2022-23 form during the ’24 season. The physical corner, who has a reputation for being overly physical at points, graded as a top-three cornerback (per Pro Football Focus) in 2022 and ’23. PFF slotted him 31st in 2024 and ranks him 22nd this year. Glenn’s arrival brought a new system for Gardner to learn, and the new HC will retool at corner. The Jets extended Carter last year and let longtime No. 2 corner D.J. Reed walk in free agency. Now, Carter (traded to the Eagles) and Gardner is gone, fully dismantling Douglas’ CB trio.
Though, trading a slot corner in a Day 3 pick-swap exchange is obviously much different from dealing away a prime perimeter stopper for two first-round picks. The Jets, however, have benefited from a similar move in the fairly recent past. As Douglas’ 2020 negotiations with Jamal Adams were not starting well, the then-second-year GM flipped the All-Pro safety to the Seahawks for two first-rounders, a third and safety Bradley McDougald. Douglas ended up winning that trade, with Adams not coming especially close to justifying his then-safety-record Seattle extension. The Seahawks cut bait during that deal, and the Jets stocked their roster with the two firsts.
Prior to the Adams swap, the Jets also traded Darrelle Revis to the Buccaneers in 2013. The team fetched first- and fourth-rounders for the future Hall of Famer, whom the team had extended in 201o. Revis scored another contract with the Bucs, and the Jets drafted Sheldon Richardson with the first-rounder obtained. Gardner commanding more in a trade return than Revis is less indicative of talent and more tied to his age. Revis was going into an age-28 season at the time of the trade. Gardner will finish out his age-25 campaign with the Colts.
The Jets traded up for Alijah Vera-Tucker with the first of the Adams picks and acquired Wilson with the second first-rounder. Wilson joined Gardner in being extended this offseason. While Wilson was believed to be unhappy as the Aaron Rodgers period waned, Gardner was never connected to any trade rumors. Even as the rumors of Woody Johnson meddling piled up last year, Gardner expressed interest in being a long-term Jet. But the team’s new regime found an offer it couldn’t refuse.
Indianapolis is taking on a $30.1MM-per-year CB extension, doing so after giving Ward a three-year, $48MM deal in March. Both these moves deviate from Ballard’s M.O. at this position. For a while, Moore had been the Colts’ only high-priced CB — and the slot market is well south of the top perimeter deals — excepting Stephon Gilmore‘s one-and-done with the team. The team has changed its stripes and will take on a contract filled with option bonuses.
Despite Patrick Surtain‘s Defensive Player of the Year season, the CB market moved past his $24MM-per-year deal signed last September. Jaycee Horn, Derek Stingley and Gardner eclipsed the star Denver defender. Stingley’s $30MM-AAV accord set up Gardner to pass him, and the Jets OK’d it. For the team to move on after eight games is a shocking development, as a third Jets regime will bail on a standout DB early in his tenure. John Idzik traded Revis, while Douglas unloaded Adams. Mougey will make his mark on the Jets’ roster by shipping out Gardner in-season.
Gardner’s deal only carries a $13.75MM signing bonus, making it easier to trade. Rather than the Jets drowning in dead money by trading a player they just paid, the Colts will be on the hook for a $20MM option bonus in 2026, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes. The Jets are only being hit with $19.75MM in dead cap (per Spotrac), which will be spread out through 2027 because of this trade occurring after June 1. While it represents a risk to give up on a player so soon, the Jets’ current regime set up a potential trade with this contract structure. And it found a taker in the Colts, who are likely among the many teams high on the accomplished corner.
The former top-five pick joins a Colts team that has struggled to staff its CB spots. Ward joins third-round rookie Justin Walley on IR, having suffered a concussion in a pregame workout. Ward is expected back, while Walley is out for the season. The Colts just activated Jaylon Jones, however. Jones joined trade pickup Mekhi Blackmon, Cameron Mitchell and rookie UDFA Johnathan Edwards in an unimposing contingent of outside CBs. Gardner changes that equation.
When Ward returns, the Colts can deploy a Gardner-Ward-Moore trio — one that will be among the NFL’s best if all parties play to their capabilities — and be much better-positioned at the position. The team struggled at the non-Moore CB spots, as JuJu Brents could not stay healthy and a gambling suspension ended Isaiah Rodgers‘ Indianapolis tenure, during Gus Bradley‘s final seasons. Lou Anarumo now has a crucial chess piece, as the Colts look to challenge for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Colts sit a surprising 7-2, having seen their offense — prior to a step backward in Pittsburgh — dominate, having scored more points through eight games than any post-merger team in franchise history. The Colts rank first in scoring and seventh in points allowed. Indy’s defensive strength comes through its rush deterrence, however; the team ranks 26th against the pass.
Indianapolis sought CB and EDGE help at the deadline. Part one of that mission is complete, albeit at a far pricier cost than anticipated, and it will be interesting to see if the Colts call it a day or still add at defensive end.
Gardner’s contract hitting the payroll is also interesting for a Colts team that has seen Daniel Jones deliver a bounce-back start to the season. The Colts may no longer be in the low-cost contract business at QB come 2026, should Jones keep going en route to another raise (one the team appears open to), so adding the NFL’s biggest DB contract introduces a complication.
Ballard has been a homegrown-centric GM, to a fault almost, during his tenure. Though, Ballard and HC Shane Steichen certainly faced pressure coming into the season. They are far more committed to this year’s roster than they were entering Tuesday. It will be fascinating to see how the veteran GM manages the roster moving forward, now that he has taken the biggest swing in his executive career.
Mitchell had competed with Alec Pierce for a starting role in 2024, seeing Anthony Richardson‘s accuracy issues make his rookie season harder to evaluate. The former Georgia and Texas pass catcher did post 23 receptions for 312 yards as a rookie. With Tyler Warren entering the fray this offseason, Mitchell had faded to a deep background piece. He has only caught two passes since October began.
Also becoming the second Colt to lose a touchdown by inexplicably dropping the ball on the 1-yard line in two years (after Jonathan Taylor did the same in 2024), Mitchell was viewed as the culprit in the team’s one-score loss to the Rams in Week 4. A holding call on Mitchell negated a Taylor TD in that seven-point defeat. But Mitchell is a second-round pick signed through 2027. The Jets will take what amounts to a flier. More playing time should be expected, as the Jets do not have much of note beyond Garrett Wilson at receiver.
Jets’ Trade Deadline Aftermath
The two biggest moves of today’s trade deadline saw the Jets send away two former top-four overall picks in defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner. Many are billing the moves as a teardown of the roster en route to a rebuild, and first-year general manager Darren Mougey has put his team in as good a position as possible to stage an epic rebuild.
Trading Williams and Gardner was not necessarily part of the plan, but according to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the Jets were given “offers they could not refuse.” A crucial part of one of today’s trades actually occurred back 112 days ago, when Gardner signed his four-year, $120.4MM extension. Mougey told the media of the strategies that made his trade possible.
“We had a lot of discussions going through that contract process and some of the details we had to have in that contract because you never know how the future is going to unfold,” Mougey said (via Costello). “We always wanted to be in position to potentially trade these contracts.”
The deals took a lot of talent away from a team that has struggled mightily in 2025, even with those stars, but they also brought incredible potential for team improvement. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport credited Mougey for his willingness to hold out throughout the leadup to the trade deadline. As offers continued to pour in with increasing intensity of interest, Mougey held firm, showing teams that he wouldn’t give up his top-tier assets unless serious offers were made. Mougey told reporters that as “Indianapolis kept getting richer and richer” with the value of their offer, it became too good to pass up.
Altogether, the new draft picks acquired in the trades give New York five first-round picks over the next two years — two in 2026 and three in 2027 — and three second-round picks, not to mention the supplemental additions of former first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith and former second-round receiver Adonai Mitchell. Additionally, Costello reports that, in exchange for taking on $43MM in dead money this season for the trade, “the Jets are projected to have about $117MM in salary cap space” to utilize in free agency.
They didn’t trade away everyone, though. Obviously, they made it clear wide receiver Garrett Wilson wasn’t going anywhere, but the team tried and failed to find new homes for outside linebacker Jermaine Johnson, running back Breece Hall, and linebacker Quincy Williams before the deadline. Some of the issues keeping these trades from happening came down to Mougey’s demand for value.
Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reports that the Bears and 49ers made serious attempts to acquire Johnson, but both teams pivoted as New York stood pat on their second-round demand. Fellow FOX Sports reporter Ralph Vacchiano claimed little surprise that the Jets kept Johnson over the second-round offers that reportedly did come their way, pointing to the team having already exercised his fifth-year option as evidence that they were less willing to let him go.
Another factor restricting the options available to deal the remaining players came down to competition. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, other “AFC East teams reached out to the Jets about potential deals, but New York was reluctant to trade with division rivals.”
Costello points out that, at this point in time, the oldest draft picks remaining on the Jets’ roster hail from the 2021 draft class and only long snapper Thomas Hennessy, the longest-tenured player on the team, dates back before that. The team is full of youth, and Mougey has set up multiple strong avenues with which he can continue to build around the remaining talent. All that’s left to see is whether or not Mougey can do a better job of building a team than his predecessors who put him in this position.