Overview
- Indianapolis acquired Sauce Gardner for 2026 and 2027 first-round picks plus wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, hours after the cornerback signed a July extension with New York.
- Dallas landed defensive tackle Quinnen Williams for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
- Mougey said contracts were structured to be tradeable and that the Colts’ offer “kept getting richer,” leaving the Jets with five first-rounders across 2026–2027 and a projected $117 million in cap space.
- New York fielded offers but kept key pieces, rejecting a Chiefs proposal of a fourth-rounder for Breece Hall while holding firm on a second-round price for Jermaine Johnson amid interest from the Bears and 49ers.
- Reactions underscored the split objectives: analysts labeled the Colts and Cowboys immediate winners (Sporting News gave Indy an A+), Gardner expressed no hard feelings, Jermaine Johnson pledged leadership, and Hall posted then deleted that he was “sick.”