Indianapolis Colts, you wanted and waited for general manager Chris Ballard to finally make a move at the NFL trade deadline. In 2025, after nine years of doing nothing, Ballard stunned everyone: NFL fans, Indy fans, and likely even his own players. Indianapolis has traded for Sauce Gardner.
Gardner is inarguably one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. The fact that the Jets traded for him is seemingly ridiculous. Yes, maybe Indianapolis had to give up a lot to acquire the All-Pro cornerback, but he is completely worth it. No player Indy was going to draft was going to be as good as Gardner.
In return for Gardner, the Colts gave the Jets two first-round picks. Even that alone is worth it. The cornerback is signed through 2030 and is going to be a Colt for a long time. There is no reason to believe he will fail. Coupled with Charvarius Ward, Indianapolis has gone from an iffy secondary to one of the best in the NFL.
Indianapolis Colts stunningly trade for Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner
Clearly, Chris Ballard has gone all-in. He thinks this current Indy team can win a Super Bowl, and after the move to add Gardner, maybe they can. No moves needed to be made offensively, but the defense has been a bit of a mess. Adding an edge rusher would have been grand, but Gardner fixes even that.
He is the kind of shutdown cornerback who can drape all over his wide receiver for enough time to allow the pass rush to get home. While it might be better to have an elite pass rush, Gardner changes everything. He is one of the few corners who can make up for the loss of a lack of rush.
Plus, he is signed long-term. The move puts Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard firmly into the Executive of the Year running for the NFL. Daniel Jones was a brilliant move. Sauce Gardner is a close second. Colts fans should now obviously have Super Bowl aspirations.