The Indianapolis Colts’ season has gone so far off the rails that the fallout is now stretching beyond the standings and into the draft board. What started as a rough year has turned into a painful reminder of what the franchise gave up in the deal for Sauce Gardner, and the New York Jets are the ones positioned to benefit most.
The Colts surrendered two first-round picks for Gardner, and that cost is looking heavier by the week. The first hit already pushed Indianapolis from Super Bowl contention into the middle of the draft.
This year’s damage is even harder to swallow, because the Colts no longer appear headed toward the kind of top-ten selection that could help them reset. Instead, the Jets are holding the fourth overall pick.
That’s the cruel part for Indianapolis. Usually, a season this bad at least comes with a premium draft pick and a chance to start over with a blue-chip talent.
This time, that safety net is gone. The Colts can still improve their roster in later rounds, but the absence of a first-rounder could hang over the franchise for a while.
The return hasn’t made the sting any easier. Gardner has missed too much time in his short run with the Colts to justify the price, at least so far.
And then there’s Adonai Mitchell, the other piece involved. He had fallen into Shane Steichen’s doghouse and looked like a throwaway part of the deal, but he has started to show some resurgence.
Even that has become part of the frustration.
These kinds of moves can linger for years, especially when the team giving up the picks is already unraveling. If the Jets use that fourth overall selection on a Hall of Fame player, the pain in Indianapolis will only deepen. For now, the Colts are living with the consequences, and the Jets are in line to cash in.
In Other News...
Jonathan Taylor Trade Buzz Puts Colts In A Tough Spot
The trade deadline chatter around Jonathan Taylor has put the Colts in an awkward spot, with the Giants reportedly showing interest in the running back as they try to address needs on both sides of the ball. New York is also looking at other offensive playmakers and defensive linemen, but Taylor remains part of a broader search as the Giants weigh how to strengthen a roster that needs immediate help.
For Indianapolis, the issue is not whether Taylor has value. It is whether any team is willing to meet the Colts' asking price, which is believed to be steep enough to make a deal difficult. With the Giants exploring multiple options and the market still taking shape, the Colts are left balancing the appeal of a major return against the reality that moving a player of Taylor's caliber is never simple. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Have Become An AFC South Embarrassment For One Reason
At 2-6, the Colts have spent much of this season trying to keep pace in an AFC South that has not exactly set a high bar, and the gap between where they want to be and where they are has only grown harder to ignore. Jacksonville and Houston have separated themselves in the division picture, while Indianapolis has been left to sort through the fallout of a rough start and a roster that has not played up to expectations.
The uncomfortable part is that the Colts are not just chasing wins, they are also chasing an identity. Quarterback uncertainty has hovered over the season, and the broader performance issues have made it difficult to see a clean path forward as the standings tighten. With Tennessee still behind them in the division ranking, Indianapolis is not at the bottom, but it is also not anywhere close to the conversation the franchise expected to be in. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Have A Daniel Jones Trade Deadline Question
The NFL trade deadline always has a way of turning a routine roster conversation into something bigger, and Daniel Jones has suddenly become one of those names to watch in Indianapolis. Adam Schefter floated the possibility of the Colts moving the quarterback, noting that surprise deals can materialize when teams start looking for answers in a hurry, even if nothing is confirmed at this point.
For the Colts, the question is awkward because Jones was brought in on a two-year contract this offseason to be part of the plan, not a midseason talking point. But his uneven play has kept the door cracked open, and with other teams around the league dealing with quarterback uncertainty, Indianapolis at least has a decision to weigh as the deadline gets closer. [Read more 🡒]