The Indianapolis Colts absolutely have to have a great Sauce Gardner for as long as he is with the team. That could be one more season or many more. But if the team makes the postseason, Gardner has to be a reason.
That is because Indy gave two first-round draft picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets midway through last season for the services of the former All-Pro. After coming over to Indianapolis, Gardner failed to impress, mostly because he was seemingly constantly injured with a calf problem.
But Gardner knows his importance to the Colts, and said as much, speaking to the media ahead of the 2026 NFL draft. He was self-aware, but also confident in how good the defense can be.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner is confident the team can finally make the playoffs
The cornerback said, "We're gonna do our thing as a team, on defense especially. If I gotta be the first-round pick the next two years, I’m gonna work regardless, (even if) that wasn’t the case....I feel like we got the guys to get where we wanna go. Bare minimum, that's going to the playoffs. I'm very confident in this team in general."
This issue gets complicated for Indy with Gardner, but not so much having anything to do with the player. Gardner, if he can stay healthy, is bound to be good. The problem is that he is just a cornerback, and not a quarterback or an edge rusher. He will be directly involved in only as many plays as the offense pressures him to be.
Giving up two first-round picks might simply have been too much for a cornerback. One first-round choice? Absolutely. Two? Too much.
That wouldn't be the case for an edge rusher who has to play the run and pressure opposing quarterbacks and can have a bigger impact on a game. Again, Sauce Gardner might be the best player at his position in the NFL, but that doesn't mean he will even be the most impactful on his own defense. That might be Laiatu Latu or DeForest Buckner.
To keep their jobs (one would assume at least one of them), general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen have to make the postseason, and, ideally, they would make a deep run once there. Anything short of the playoffs should mean an organizational overhaul.
The aspect of the Indianapolis Colts that has to improve the most is the defense, though. If Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward, and DeForest Buckner stay healthier than in 2025, the defense should be much better. But nothing can be guaranteed, unfortunately.
At least, Gardner is outwardly confident about the state of his team. One might want to check back in with him midway through the season, however, and see how he is feeling.
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