Sportsnaut
Few teams have been more successful than the Indianapolis Colts through nine weeks of the season. They’ve dominated seemingly from start to finish, yet their 7-2 record still places them in a three-way tie with two other teams in the AFC.
Yet, when good teams look like strong playoff contenders, their general managers often pounce on the opportunity by making the roster better. That’s exactly what Colts GM Chris Ballard did on Tuesday.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Colts have completed a blockbuster trade sending two first-round picks plus receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets in exchange for two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner.
It’s likely to be the biggest trade of this year’s deadline, as first-round picks rarely get moved. Yet, the Colts had reportedly been calling around for cornerback upgrades as the deadline drew near. In fact, Fox’s Jay Glazer adds that the Colts thought they had a trade completed for another cornerback, but the deal fell apart. Thus, the team pivoted to this blockbuster for Gardner, one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks, instead.
Gardner, 25, joins an immediate playoff contender after missing out on the postseason for each of his four years in the NFL. He’s started all 55 games he’s appeared in since arriving as the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, recording 201 tackles, 46 pass deflections, three interceptions, a forced fumble, and a sack.
Under contract through 2030, this trade not only reinforces a Colts defense that ranks seventh in points allowed this season, but it gives them a shutdown cornerback for years to come. Meanwhile, the Jets now have a lot more draft capital to restock their roster.
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