The Colts paid a steep price for Sauce Gardner, and they did it with a long view in mind.
Last year’s deadline deal sent two first-round picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell to the New York Jets in exchange for the cornerback, a move that cost plenty but brought Indianapolis one of the NFL’s best young defenders. Gardner will turn 25 just before this season and is already tied to the Colts through 2030.
That combination of age, pedigree and contract control is a big reason he landed at No. 23 in CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan’s ranking of the top 25 NFL players under 25.
"The Colts gave up a haul last season to acquire Sauce Gardner, shipping two first-round picks and receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Jets," Sullivan wrote. "Gardner has the talent to be the best player at his position and already has two first-team All-Pro nods on his résumé.
"That said, there have also been some ebbs during his young career, which is why we're keeping him in the bottom half of this list. If he lives up to the price tag Indy paid this season, he'll reestablish himself as one of the NFL's top young cornerbacks."
Gardner’s résumé still carries plenty of weight. He burst into the league in 2022 by winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, then followed that with First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler honors in both 2022 and 2023. He was also recently ranked as the NFL’s ninth-best corner.
His first stretch in Indianapolis, though, was interrupted by injury. After the trade, he appeared in only four games for the Colts and played just two full ones because of a calf issue. He finished with 16 tackles and three pass breakups.
When he was on the field in 2025, Gardner still showed why the Colts wanted him. According to Pro Football Focus, he held opponents to a 48.6% completion rate when targeted, tied for second among NFL corners in forced incompletion rate at 26%, and posted a 76.9 overall defensive grade that ranked ninth.
Colts secondary coach and pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt said Gardner’s value goes beyond the obvious.
"Well, he's a guy that sees the big picture," Hewitt began. "But along with that, you've still got to be a great technician and know what's about to happen to you as a player.
So pre-snap looks, all your studies throughout the week. He does a great job of doing that, retaining the information, knowing what looks he's about to expect, and being able to have an opportunity to go make plays on the ball.
So, he's definitely one of those guys that's always a step ahead."
In Other News...
Latest Seahawks Twist Has Colts Fans Thinking Bigger Than Football
The latest Seahawks sale chatter has done more than stir up the NFLs usual offseason gossip. For Colts fans, it has opened a bigger conversation about what comes next in Indianapolis, where the franchise has already moved into a new era after Jim Irsays death in 2025 and the transfer of ownership to Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson.
There is also the football side of the equation, and that is where the unease really lingers. Chris Ballard remains in place after nine seasons as general manager, the Colts have had limited playoff success under his watch, and the current ownership group has kept both Ballard and Shane Steichen despite the pressure that comes with uneven results. So when a high-profile team sale lands in the news, it is no surprise that some Colts supporters start wondering whether the discussion should be about more than just the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Running Back Battle Is Bigger Than Fans Think Behind Taylor
With training camp approaching, the Colts running back room looks more settled at the top than it does everywhere else. Jonathan Taylor is the clear anchor, and Indianapolis usually heads into the season with three backs on the 53-man roster, which means the real intrigue is in how the rest of the depth chart takes shape behind him.
DJ Giddens and Seth McGowan are the names most likely to fill those backup roles, but nothing is guaranteed once camp and preseason games start sorting out the pecking order. Ulysses Bentley, Lincoln Pare and Anderson Castle are also in the mix, so what looks like a straightforward position battle on paper could turn into one of the more interesting roster decisions the Colts have to make this summer. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Just Got A Warning About Where Shane Steichen's Season Is Heading
The Colts are heading into another season with the same uncomfortable backdrop that has followed them for years: no playoff berth in five seasons, and Shane Steichen still looking for a breakthrough in his first three years at the controls. ESPNs latest roster rankings did Indianapolis no favors either, slotting the team 20th in the league and leaving it in the bottom half of the NFL, behind both of its AFC South rivals.
For a team trying to climb out of the middle, that kind of placement is a reminder that progress is not guaranteed just because the calendar flips. The Colts have shown they can flash real momentum, but the margin for error remains thin, and the pressure around the franchise only grows if the next step is more of the same. [Read more 🡒]