Report: New York Jets trading Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis Colts

The blockbuster trades have begun to roll in ahead of Tuesday’s NFL Trade Deadline.

The New York Jets are reportedly trading All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, multiple outlets reported Tuesday afternoon. In exchange, the Jets are receiving two first-round picks in both the 2026 and 2027 NFL Draft and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in the deal.

Full trade:

🏈Colts receive CB Sauce Gardner.

🏈Jets receive 2026 and 2027 first-round picks and WR AD Mitchell.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 4, 2025

Gardner and the Jets agreed to terms on a four-year, $120.4M extension just before the regular season kicked off, which made him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. Following New York’s 1-7 start to the season however, the two-time All-Pro cornerback is heading to a Super Bowl contender in the AFC South.

Over the course of four seasons in New York, Gardner recorded 201 tackles, 46 pass deflections, three interceptions and six TFL. In that span, he was named the 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, a two-time First Team All-Pro (2022 & 2023) and a two-time Pro Bowler (2022 & 2023).

His stellar play however didn’t contributed to much success, as the Jets went just 20-39 over the past four seasons. It’s been a brutal stretch of seasons for New York’s third team, as they haven’t enjoyed a winning season (10-6) since 2015 and haven’t reached the NFL Playoffs since 2010.

“With everything that (Defensive Coordinator) Lou (Anarumo) does as far as all the different things he throws at offenses, when you have a chess piece like Sauce, who can just go up and lock down a guy on either side of the field or lock up a No. 1 receiver, it’s going to be tremendous,” former Colts cornerback Darius Butler said on Tuesday’s edition of ‘The Pat McAfee Show‘.

The move all but signifies that the Indianapolis Colts are all in on making a run to the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. The Colts currently sit at 7-2 on the season, good for first in the AFC South and No. 1 in the AFC Playoffs ahead of the 7-2 New England Patriots, 7-2 Denver Broncos and the 5-3 Pittsburgh Steelers.

The New York Jets will now bank two first-round picks and haul in wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, who was expendable to Indianapolis thanks to strong pass-catchers in Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Tyler Warren already having defined roles in the Colts offense.