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Colts Acquire Sauce Gardner From Jets in Trade-Deadline Blockbuster

A record-setting contract with favorable option timing helped make the rare in-season deal possible.

Overview

  • New York receives Indianapolis’ 2026 and 2027 first-round picks plus wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in the confirmed deal completed hours before the deadline.
  • Gardner acknowledged the move with a “New York it’s been real” post on X after reports from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and CBS SportsJonathan Jones.
  • Indianapolis, now 7-2, targets a championship push by upgrading a thin cornerback group that features Charvarius Ward and Kenny Moore.
  • The Jets, at 1-7, add premium draft capital and financial flexibility, with the July four-year, $120.4 million extension structured to shift larger future guarantees to the acquiring team.
  • The two-time All-Pro and 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year has elite credentials but recent dip in production and a recent concussion absence fueled debate over the high price.