Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner runs through drills on Thursday, November 6, 2025. Clark Wade/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sauce Gardner's Classy Response After Jets-Colts Stunner

Originally posted on New York Jets on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Nov 7, 2025 8:28 AM ET

The New York Jets made one of the most surprising mid-season trades you're going to see earlier in the week as they dealt All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.

It's not often you see a guy at the level of Gardner traded in general. That is especially the case when you take into account the fact that he just inked a long-term extension with New York before the season.

This was a decision that the Jets made with the long-term future in mind and now it all comes down to how they use those draft picks. Despite the surprise, the 25-year-old handled the move like a pro and shouted out the Jets in his first press conference with the Colts.

"I enjoyed my time in New York," Gardner said. "I just wanted to give a shoutout to the guys that were there and drafted me and the guys that were there obviously when I got my extension and everything like that. And my teammates who I went through so much with."

The former Jets star opened up

He also shed some light on his thought process throughout the day as the blockbuster trade unfolded.

"I didn't have time to process it all of the way," Gardner said. "I just knew like I was coming into a great situation. Like, I was running in circles in the house. First thing I was thinking, I'm about to be back with my boy (Alec Pierce). Like, they're winning right now. I just know what I can add. I was just happy. At the same time, I didn't have time to to be like, 'Dang, I'm getting traded right now.' It was all good vibes because at the end of the day, who is going to feel sorry?

"That's just a part of the business. It's like these last couple of days, I've been having to learn the playbook at a pace that I didn't know I was capable of learning a playbook at, but who is going to feel sorry for me? Nobody. I'm not going to say shocked is the word, because I know with what the coach was offered, something that was hard to pass up on. Especially how it has been over the years. It made sense."

It's unfortunate to see Gardner go, but he handled the move well and didn't throw any barbs out the door. Now, he joins a 7-2 Colts team that looks like a playoff squad and the Jets are loaded with a high-powered treasure trove of draft picks that they will try to use to rebuild this organization.

This article first appeared on New York Jets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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