On Tuesday, the Indianapolis Colts shocked the NFL by trading with the New York Jets for star cornerback Sauce Gardner. It costs the Colts two first-round picks and young receiver Adonai Mitchell, but Indianapolis now has a two-time First-team All-Pro corner, who’s only 25 years old and under contract for five more years.
Currently sitting at 7-2, this is the Colts' way of saying they’re going all in.
Typically, it takes years to accurately judge a trade, and this deal will be no different. However, Gardner will have an immediate opportunity to prove his value to Indy. On Sunday, the Colts will play the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin, Germany.
The Week 10 matchup will see Indy’s new corner lineup across from Falcons receiver Drake London. Considering how London has been playing, Gardner can make a statement in his first Colts game.
Sauce Gardner has a huge matchup against Drake London in first game with Colts
London, now in his fourth season, has taken things to another level every year of his career. After eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards in a single season for the first time last year, catching 100 passes for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns, the wideout has been even better this season. In seven games this year, he has a total of 47 receptions for 587 yards and five touchdowns.
London and second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. have a phenomenal connection, and that has been on display as of late. In London’s last four games, he caught eight or more passes for over 100 yards in three of them. That includes a three-touchdown performance from Week 9, the last time the Falcons took the field. London will certainly try to pick up where he left off.
Gardner and company will try to prevent that. The reason Indianapolis went out to get the corner is that the defense hasn’t been that good at slowing down opposing passing games. This year, the Colts are allowing 244.8 passing yards per game, which ranks 26th in the NFL.
Of course, it hasn’t slowed Indy down, as the team is still 7-2, but to be a true contender, Indianapolis has to improve against the pass. If the recently acquired cornerback can eliminate Drake London from Sunday’s game, everyone will point out that this is exactly why the Colts gave up so much to get him.