When the Colts traded for Sauce Gardner at the deadline, it was a bold, win-now move-shipping off two future first-round picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell to the Jets in exchange for one of the NFL’s elite young corners. But beyond the splashy transaction, what’s happening behind the scenes might be just as important for Indianapolis' long-term hopes. And Gardner’s recent story about his welcome-to-Indy moment with head coach Shane Steichen gives us a window into what this new era of Colts football is really about.
Gardner, known for his swagger and shutdown ability on the field, shared a telling moment that happened shortly after he arrived in the building. He had tweaked his calf and was scheduled for a 7:00 a.m. treatment session in the training room.
He showed up at 7:02. Not exactly a major offense by most standards-but Steichen didn’t let it slide.
“I walk in, and Coach Shane is like, ‘What’s up, Sauce?’” Gardner recalled.
“I’m like, ‘What’s good, Coach?’ Boom, fast forward to the team meeting after that training room session, Coach said, ‘Sauce, you was late to the training room today.
Can you tell us why you were late?’ In front of the whole team.”
That moment stuck with Gardner-not because he felt called out, but because it sent a message. Steichen wasn’t just holding rookies or practice squad guys accountable. He was holding everyone to the same standard, even a two-time First-Team All-Pro.
“For me, that was his way of showing me how things are there,” Gardner said. “I had to get with the program.”
And that’s the key takeaway here. The Colts haven’t been to the playoffs in five straight seasons, and during that stretch, questions about the team’s internal culture have bubbled to the surface.
When you’re not winning, people start asking tough questions. But moments like this-where a head coach sets the tone, demands accountability, and reinforces expectations, even with star players-speak volumes about the culture Steichen is trying to build.
Gardner got the message loud and clear. “It’s not just, ‘Alright, it’s the training room, I can get there a couple minutes late.’
It’s, ‘I need to get there around 6:55, like it was a meeting.’ So, it’s a very unique process there.”
On the field, Gardner’s time in Indy was short but impactful. He played in four games before that same calf injury sidelined him for three weeks. Still, he made his presence felt-racking up 16 tackles and three pass breakups-and it’s clear the Colts envision him as a cornerstone of their defense moving forward.
The hope now is that a full, healthy offseason will allow Gardner to return to his dominant form-the same form that earned him All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons. If that happens, and if the culture Steichen is instilling continues to take root, the Colts might finally be turning a corner.
Accountability. Consistency.
Standards. It’s not just coach-speak in Indianapolis anymore.
It’s the new normal.