The Colts and Jets added plenty of excitement to Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, executing a shocking trade that came out of nowhere.
New York traded star cornerback Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis for two first-round picks and second-year wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. This is a stunning deal, even with the Jets at 1–7. Gardner is only 25, was viewed as a core player, and was just given a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension in the offseason.
While the Jets are ready for a complete makeover, the Colts went all in after a surprising 7–2 start. Indianapolis needed to make a few defensive moves to support its productive offense and to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender.
Here are the grades for this shocking trade.
Colts
It’s hard to criticize the Colts for adding an elite shutdown cornerback, but giving up two first-round picks is a steep price to pay. In comparison, the Cowboys received two first-rounders for Micah Parsons.
Usually, giving up that much draft capital is reserved for quarterbacks, edge rushers and elite wide receivers. Then again, the Rams relinquished two first-round picks for Jalen Ramsey in 2019 and never complained because they won a Super Bowl two years later.
Also, Gardner hasn’t been as good as he was in his first two seasons in the league. There was a time when Gardner and Denver’s Patrick Surtain II were both considered the two best cornerbacks in the league. However, now there’s no debate, with Surtain being the clear No. 1. You could also make a case for Derek Stingley Jr. playing better than Gardner the past two seasons. Gardner was drafted No. 4 in the 2022 draft, one spot after the Texans took Stingley.
But Gardner didn’t have much help on a bad Jets’ defense. Everything fell apart after the Jets fired coach Robert Saleh early in the 2024 season. Maybe Gardner can return to his elite ways working under Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
As for another positive for the Colts’ bold decisions, they have Gardner locked up for the next few years to contend for a Super Bowl in the foreseeable future. The Colts are better with Gardner, but they still have to get through the Bills, Chiefs, Broncos and Patriots in a loaded conference.
They deserve credit for going for it, but this will be a failed trade if they don’t at least advance to a Super Bowl for a franchise in need of a jolt since Andrew Luck abruptly retired in 2019.
Grade: B-
Jets
Initially, the Jets weren't willing to move their core group of Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Quinnen Williams. But there were never reports that those players were not for available.
The Jets got a hard-to-refuse offer for Gardner, and it’s hard to blame them for moving their star cornerback in the midst of his prime. His game has fallen off the past two years, and there has been an apparent disconnect ever since Saleh left the building.
New York now has a golden opportunity to ignite a complete rebuild with hopes of using one of their many first-round picks to land a franchise quarterback. But that’s easier said than done for the Jets, who have had several failed first-round quarterbacks in the past two decades.
There may be some regret if Gardner regains his elite form in Indianapolis. But that won’t matter if the Jets turn these extra draft picks into star players to help this team finally win games.
Mitchell, being a throw-in player in the trade, could help New York. The 2024 second-round pick is a talented playmaker, but he failed to crack the Colts’ rotation and made a few costly errors, especially in a Week 4 loss to the Rams. With less competition, perhaps Mitchell, who has nine catches for 152 yards this season, can find stability playing next to Wilson.
New York had an impressive core group to build around, but it needed to trade at least one to gain resources to build a well-rounded team. It’s hard to trust the Jets to make the right decisions, but they got it right with this stunning trade.
Grade: A
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Colts-Jets Trade Grades: Indianapolis Goes All In With Latest Acquisition.