Colts’ Gamble on Sauce Gardner Hits a Wall as Injuries Mount - Just as Adonai Mitchell Breaks Out in New York
When the Indianapolis Colts pulled the trigger on a bold trade just before the NFL deadline-sending wide receiver Adonai Mitchell and two first-round picks to the Jets in exchange for All-Pro corner Sauce Gardner-it looked like a franchise-defining move. Gardner was everything the Colts needed: a lockdown corner with elite instincts, tailor-made for Lou Anarumo’s aggressive, press-heavy scheme. And in his first couple of games with Indy, he looked every bit the game-changer they were hoping for.
But here we are in Week 13, and the script has flipped in a way no one in Indianapolis wanted to see.
A Defensive Dream Turns Into a Nightmare
The Colts entered their divisional showdown with the Houston Texans already battered on defense. Charvarius Ward and DeForest Buckner were both sidelined, and now, Gardner has joined the growing list of casualties.
On Houston’s opening drive, Gardner came up limping after a non-contact play-never a good sign. He tried to walk it off but couldn’t put much weight on the leg.
Moments later, he was in the medical tent, then the locker room, and eventually back on the sideline in street clothes and a walking boot. Just like that, the Colts' prized acquisition was out.
It’s a gut punch for a defense that’s been trying to hold things together with duct tape. Gardner’s injury, reportedly a non-contact calf issue, came in just his third game with the Colts. And while there’s no official word yet on the severity, the optics weren’t encouraging.
Meanwhile in New York… Adonai Mitchell Arrives
While Indianapolis was reeling, Jets fans were celebrating. Adonai Mitchell-who never quite found his footing in Indy-finally broke through with his first career NFL touchdown.
And it wasn’t just a short-yardage fluke. Mitchell led the Jets in receptions (8) and receiving yards (102) in a breakout performance that had MetLife buzzing.
It’s been a long time coming for Mitchell, whose time with the Colts was marred by inconsistency. Drops, miscommunications, and missed opportunities defined his tenure in Indy. But against all odds, he’s starting to look like the player the Colts once hoped he’d become.
To be clear, one game doesn’t erase a history of struggles. Mitchell still has a lot to prove.
But for Jets fans, watching him finally flash that tantalizing potential was a welcome sight. And for Colts fans?
It stings.
A Trade That Still Makes Sense-But Hurts Right Now
Let’s not lose the plot here. The Colts didn’t make a reckless move.
They went after a top-tier cornerback in his prime, someone who could anchor their secondary for years. Sauce Gardner is that dude.
You don’t land players like him without giving something up, and the Colts paid the price.
But this is the NFL-nothing ever goes exactly to plan. Gardner’s injury is a brutal twist for a team already struggling to stay healthy, and Mitchell’s sudden emergence in New York only adds salt to the wound. It’s the kind of cruel irony that makes football so compelling-and so unforgiving.
The Colts still believe this trade will pay off in the long run, and there’s every reason to think Gardner will be back to full strength. But in the here and now, they’re left with a depleted defense, a banged-up star, and a former receiver who’s finally turning heads-just not in their uniform.
It’s a reminder that in the NFL, even the smartest moves come with risk. And sometimes, that risk shows up in a walking boot.