The Jets pulled off a stunning trade on Tuesday, shipping out two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts in exchange for two first-round picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell.
A source confirmed the trade to The Post, made just hours before the 4 p.m. trading deadline. And that came shortly before they traded Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys.
The move was a shocker. The Jets just signed Gardner to a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension in July, which seemed to be a signal that he was viewed as part of the future under first-year coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey.
Just four months later, he is gone.
“New York it’s been real,” Gardner posted on X after the trade news broke.
The Jets received a first-round pick in 2026 and one in 2027, the source said.
The Jets drafted Gardner with the No. 4 overall pick in 2022 and he won Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was first-team All-Pro in 2022 and 2023 and viewed as one of the best cornerbacks in football. His play slipped in 2024, but the Jets still decided to give him a contract extension. He played in seven games this season, missing the last game with a concussion. If there is a knock on Gardner, it is that he only has three interceptions in his career.
The Jets will now move forward with Brandon Stephens and rookie Azareye’h Thomas as their starting cornerbacks.
The Colts selected Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 draft. He only has nine receptions for 152 yards this year for Indianapolis. The Jets need help at receiver and he should get more playing time with the Jets.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
