Sauce Gardner has shown himself to be a great cornerback in the NFL, and he did so with the New York Jets before being traded to the Indianapolis Colts last year. He hasn't shown he will be great in Indy yet, as he missed four of his eight games last season after being traded from New York to Indy.
But let's assume Gardner will be terrific because that is all he has ever been in the league. He is a true shutdown cornerback and will only be 25 years old when the 2026 regular season begins. How could someone of his previous success and youth be considered overrated?
And yet, he has been in a recent poll by FanSided (the company of which Horseshoe Heroes is a part). Mind you, the list wasn't the opinion of the company, but of a group of site experts for different teams. This makes the dislike of Gardner, and his being rated the ninth-most overrate dplayer in the NFL, even more real. Being overrated isn't just one person's opinion, but many.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner listed as one of the ten-most overrated players
What you might be asking is where the "overrated" tag comes from, and, to be fair, the reason isn't clear.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Gardner was ranked as the ninth-best cornerback in the league in 2025, after being number one in 2022 and number three in 2023. He fell to 31 in 2024, but if a player is ranked in the top 10 of their position for 75 percent of their career, it is terribly difficult to call them overrated.
The worst passer rating allowed Gardner has had in his career was in 2025 at 87.9, and that is still a tremendous number. He allowed a career-high of two touchdown passes (only two!), but he had eight passes broken up. He arguably had his best season in terms of run defense, too.
In four seasons, Sauce Gardner has given up just five touchdowns, had three interceptions, but 39 passes broken up. The likely reason he doesn't have more interceptions is that he covers his receiver so well that quarterbacks refuse to throw the ball his way. His opportunities for picks are limited.
For a cornerback, he is also a very good tackler, whiffing on just 5.7 percent of his attempts in 2025. That is a great number for an inside linebacker. For a defensive back, that statistic is extraordinary.
The only real argument for Gardner being overrated is that general manager Chris Ballard might have given the Jets too much in return for Gardner. That includes two first-round draft picks and suddenly ascending wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
But that is too much to give up for almost every player, so the question is whether Gardner was worthy of what was given up, but whether Ballard simply overpaid, just as he would have for almost any player in the league with the package he gave New York.
FanSided's mistake was writing at the end of Gardner's part, "If you're going to trade two first-round picks, you want someone who can put you over the edge. Gardner isn't doing that for the Colts."
That is misleading. Sauce Gardner has only played four games for the Indianapolis Colts, so judging him on what he has done so far is unfair. Once the 2026 season ends, most likely Gardner will have performed as he did with the Jets, be All-Pro-caliber, and a difference-maker on an improved defense; improved because it now has the elite services of one of the best cornerbacks in the league.
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