In the second big move of the day, the Indianapolis Colts sent a pair of first-round picks to the New York Jets. The Jets were clearly going to be sellers at the deadline, but they immediately set themselves up for success in the future. Indy is making it very clear they’re going all out in pursuit of a Super Bowl this year, and the addition of Gardner proves just that. Of all the speculated trades, no one saw this coming.
Sauce Gardner Bids Farewell to New York Jets
Immediately after being traded, Gardner posted his farewell. The news of this trade comes mere months after he signed a four-year, $120.4 million extension to remain in New York. The Jets’ struggles left the team with no choice as they decided that moving on from his contract would benefit them in the long term.
New York it’s been real💚
— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) November 4, 2025
“New York it’s been real,” Gardner posted with a green heart. He’ll go from a one-win team to a Super Bowl Contender that has weapons like QB Daniel Jones and RB Jonathan Taylor. Indy had a chance to prove themselves as the real deal in Week 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they lost, 27-20.
That snapped a four-game winning streak, though Gardner will gladly take playing for a 7-2 team over one that is 1-7. Gardner did all he could for the Jets, but he proved that no single player could change the state of their franchise. In going from Justin Fields to Daniel Jones, he’s improving from someone with a D+ in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric to an A.
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There’s a clear discrepancy between the offense and defense on the Jets and Colts. Clearly, Indianapolis is doing something right. They’ll have to eat Gardner’s contract, but that’s a decision that they thought would be worth it. Gardner, 25, has 15 total tackles in seven games this season. He has three career interceptions, with two of those coming in his 2022 rookie season.
Gardner has one career sack and forced fumble, both of which came in his past two seasons. He has played one fewer game in each of his three seasons, so injuries are a slight concern. After playing all 17 games in 2022, that total fell to 15 games last year. Either way, the Jets knew they had a premier cornerback who was worth every penny. Now, they traded him for a pair of first-round picks that will help the rebuilding process.