Stampede Blue
I was going to break down the Steelers game for my film breakdown this week, but I had a feeling the Colts were up to something. So I held off—and good thing I did.
The Colts capped off their most aggressive acquisition period in the Chris Ballard era by acquiring All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner.
Sauce is an amazing player; nobody needs me to show you that. But we’ll definitely break down how his addition changes what Lou Anarumo will do on defense.
First, though, I want to talk about the ramifications of this colossal trade. I think Colts fans should be absolutely ecstatic. There are front offices in the league that would never shoot for the stars like this. What Carlie Irsay-Gordon has done in her short tenure as principal owner is outstanding. If I were an owner or GM in the AFC, I would be absolutely terrified by what’s happening in Indianapolis right now. She saw an opportunity to pounce—and she didn’t blink once. Having an owner with a championship over checkbook mentality is a massive advantage in the NFL. Especially when your owner has the experience and the desire to learn about the game of football in order to sign off on decisions like this one.
Most importantly, adding Sauce gives you an opportunity to win games in different ways. We see teams like the Eagles and Chiefs still win even when their offenses aren’t perfect. Despite the historic pace of this Colts offense, the reality is that they won’t just steamroll some of the defenses they’re about to face in the stretch run.
That being said, I’m not the biggest fan of this move, and I wouldn’t have done it. But I should explain why. Don’t get me wrong—adding Sauce to this defense is absolutely massive for the Colts. This gives them yet another All-Pro in the prime of his career to play in what is now the league’s best secondary (or at the very least, in the conversation). He’s likely to completely transform the defense and make them one of the most complete teams in the AFC.
It’s very easy to say “So what!”, “Who cares?”, or “Screw them picks” on the first day of a trade—or if you’re Les Snead after winning a Super Bowl—but those picks do in fact mean something.
The 2026 first is largely irrelevant in this deal. The Colts are likely to be picking anywhere in the 20s or later. If you know Chris Ballard, you know he would almost certainly trade out of the first round to acquire more picks. Those players probably wouldn’t have seen the field in their rookie year anyway, given how solidified this roster is. It makes total sense in a year when the Colts are 7-2 and rightfully feel like one of the best teams in a wide-open AFC to part ways with that pick.
The 2027 pick, however, is what terrifies me. The saying goes something like “Teams in the NFL don’t stay the...
