The New York Jets have agreed to trade star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday for two first-round draft picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The Jets will receive the Colts’ first-round selection in 2026 and in 2027, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced the trade.
NFL Network and ESPN first reported the stunning deal, which came less than three hours before the NFL’s trade deadline and sends one of the Jets’ most popular and accomplished players to the Colts.
Gardner, an All-Pro selection in his first two seasons, signed a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension with the Jets in July.
“New York it’s been real,” on X.
Gardner was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of Cincinnati and quickly established himself as one of the league’s top cornerbacks during his first two seasons with the Jets. He was selected the and made the All-Pro team in consecutive years for then-coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
He had a slightly down year, by his standards, last season and was excited to play for new coach Aaron Glenn and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Gardner said during minicamp in June that Wilks was trying to get him to reach another level.
“I know I’m not perfect,” Gardner said then, “but the fact that he’s trying to get perfection out of me is what I need.”
The Jets rewarded Gardner with the big extension in July that made him the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback. Gardner got off to an up-and-down start this season, but was mostly solid since before missing the team’s win at Cincinnati with a concussion.
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.
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