Jets trade star Sauce Gardner to Colts for 2 first-round picks in surprise move
Written by laser101sxm on November 4, 2025
(NYC New York) – NFL trade deadline day just got wild.
The New York Jets dealt star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for two first-round picks (2026 and 2027) and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported the news Tuesday and Gardner confirmed it with a post on X. The two teams later confirmed the terms of the deal.
For the Colts, adding Gardner represents a win-now move for a team surprisingly leading the AFC at 7-2. Fresh off a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9, cornerback was a clear need for a defense that ranks 26th against the pass.
Gardner, 25, was drafted fourth overall by the Jets in 2022 — becoming an immediate star. He was named First-Team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year and making two Pro Bowls.
In July, the Jets gave Gardner a four-year, $120.4 million extension through the 2030 season — making him the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback. The Jets, though, have gone 1-7 under new head coach Aaron Glenn this season and opted to load up on draft picks for a rebuild.
In return, the Jets add an intriguing second-year receiver in Mitchell. Drafted in the second round out of Texas last year, Mitchell has 32 receptions for 464 yards in 25 career games. But the real prize for New York is the pair of first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 — although next year’s selection appears poised to be later in the first round.
Gardner could make his Colts debut overseas this week, as the team heads to Berlin, Germany, to face the Atlanta Falcons. The Jets will host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in Week 10.
