Less than four months after making Sauce Gardner the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, the New York Jets have moved on from him.
Gang Green traded the two-time All-Pro defensive back to the Indianapolis Colts for two first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday, per sources. New York also received wide receiver Adonai Mitchell as part of the trade, per NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.
The Jets later announced the deal.
Gardner is the second player this season to be traded for multiple first-round picks (Micah Parsons, from Dallas to Green Bay) and is the second Jets player in six years to be flipped for a pair of firsts (Jamal Adams to Seahawks in 2020), per NFL Research.
Gardner, 25, signed a four-year, $120.4 million deal with the Jets and first-year general manager Darren Mougey in July. The deal included $60 million in new money guarantees, and, at an average of $30.1 million per year through the 2030 season, made Gardner the top-paid CB in league history.
Now, midway through his fourth season, the cash-rich Gardner will go from the league's worst (1-7 Jets) to the best (7-2 Colts) in a blink of an eye.
Gardner had played seven of a possible eight games for the Jets this season, logging six passes defensed and 20 total tackles. Through three-and-a-half seasons, Gardner has started 55 games, totaling three interceptions. His league-high 20 passes defensed in his rookie season led him to win AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2022.
Despite Gardner's prowess, the Jets felt comfortable moving on from him and reshaping their secondary midway through a lost first season under head coach Aaron Glenn. New York traded away its top nickelback, Michael Carter II, in a swap with the Eagles last week that netted Gang Green a needed wideout in John Metchie III.
The trade doesn't hurt the Jets too much in a fiscal sense, either. New York will save just over $600,000 this year with the trade and will have $11 million in dead cap next year, per NFL Research.
Brandon Stephens, promising rookie Azareye'h Thomas, midseason addition Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and Ja'Sir Taylor, who was acquired Tuesday in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers, now fill out New York's cornerback corps.
The Jets weren't done there, sending star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round selection, per Rapoport. Moving Gardner and Williams in the same afternoon gives New York five first-round picks over the next two years, major chips for Mougey and Co. to rebuild the roster or flip for a franchise quarterback of the future.
For Indy, Gardner will prove a critical piece on Lou Anarumo's defense and in the franchise's vision for the future.
In the immediate, Gardner will fill a hole vacated by Charvarius Ward, who is dealing with a concussion and has played in only four games this season. Mekhi Blackmon, Jaylon Jones and Kenny Moore are the current starters in the Colts' defensive backfield.
While Indy's offense remains the cream of the crop in the NFL, its defense is middle of the road in yards allowed (16th) and 26th in passing defense.
As the Colts look to compete for not only their first AFC South title in 11 years but the top seed in the conference, Gardner's addition will be crucial in locking down opposing receivers, starting Sunday against Drake London and the Falcons in Berlin (9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network and NFL+) and continuing after the Week 11 bye with the reigning champion Chiefs.
Gardner will also be a cornerstone to build around on defense, like Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman, Quenton Nelson and now Daniel Jones are on the offensive side of the ball.
"Having the opportunity to acquire a talented player like Sauce Gardner was one we did not want to pass on," Colts general manager Chris Ballard said in a statement on Tuesday. "He was a player that we scouted heavily coming out of college, and there's a reason he was the fourth-overall pick. Sauce is a proven cornerback. His skill and competitive nature will elevate everyone's play on the defensive unit. We're thrilled he's a Colt."
Mitchell can see immediate action in New York, as the Jets try to fill out a barren receiving corps for the back half of the season. The second-year wideout will join fellow midseason acquisition Metchie, star receiver Garrett Wilson, who's returning from a knee injury, Allen Lazard and assorted others in the rotation.
Through two years, Mitchell has 32 catches in 25 games played for 464 yards.
