Sauce Gardner Avoids Major Injury, But Colts Will Be Without Star Corner for Now
The Colts may have dodged a worst-case scenario with Sauce Gardner’s leg injury, but they’re still bracing for life without their top cornerback - at least for a little while.
Gardner exited early in Sunday’s 20-16 loss to the Texans after what he described as a non-contact injury to his left calf. The play came in the first quarter as Gardner was covering Texans rookie tight end Cade Stover. Gardner immediately came up limping and was clearly in pain, needing assistance to the sideline and eventually to the locker room.
“I felt like I got shot in the calf or something,” Gardner said after the game. “But it was, like, high in my calf. I wasn’t thinking the worst.”
That’s a telling quote from a player who knows his body - and the difference between a strain and something far more serious, like an Achilles tear. Gardner didn’t return to the game, but he was back on the sideline by halftime wearing a protective boot. He’s set to undergo further testing, though early signs suggest he avoided major damage.
Still, the Colts are expected to be without him for some time, according to reports.
It’s a tough blow for Indianapolis, who made a bold move to acquire the two-time All-Pro corner from the Jets in early November. At the time, the Colts were riding a hot start and saw Gardner as the kind of elite defensive piece who could elevate them from surprise contender to legitimate threat in the AFC. They’re currently 8-4 and very much in the playoff hunt, but Gardner’s absence will test the depth of their secondary.
Meanwhile, the Jets - who received a significant return in the trade - are already seeing dividends.
Adonai Mitchell Shines in Breakout Game for Jets
One of the key pieces in the Gardner deal was second-year receiver Adonai Mitchell, and on Sunday, he delivered the kind of performance that turns heads around the league. Mitchell posted career highs with eight catches for 102 yards and scored his first NFL touchdown in the Jets’ 27-24 win over the Falcons at MetLife Stadium.
It wasn’t just the stat line - it was how he got there. Mitchell looked explosive, confident, and in sync with the Jets’ offense in a way that suggests his development is accelerating. For a team that’s been searching for playmakers, Mitchell’s emergence is a bright spot in a season that’s been otherwise filled with frustration.
Jets Win, But Draft Position Takes a Hit
Of course, there’s a flip side to that win. The Jets (3-9) dropped three spots in the 2026 draft order - from No. 4 to No. 7 - as a result of Sunday’s victory. That’s the reality for teams in rebuild mode: every win is a double-edged sword.
They were leapfrogged by the Raiders (2-10), Browns (3-9), and Commanders (3-9), all of whom lost on Sunday. The top of the draft board entering Monday night belonged to the Titans (1-11), Saints (2-10), and Giants (2-10), who were preparing to face the Patriots.
Draft position is determined by strength of schedule, meaning the team with the weaker slate of opponents gets the higher pick in the event of a tie. That’s something to watch closely over the season’s final five weeks.
The Jets have now won three of their last five games after starting the season 0-7, and while that’s encouraging for morale and locker room culture, it complicates their path to landing a top quarterback prospect in April.
Quarterback Search Continues, Draft Looms Large
There’s no clear-cut QB1 in this upcoming draft class, but names like Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson are firmly in the mix. The Jets will likely need to trade up if they want their pick of the litter - and fortunately, they have the draft capital to do it.
Thanks to recent trades - including the Gardner deal and the earlier move that sent Quinnen Williams to Dallas - the Jets now own five first-round picks over the next two drafts. That’s a treasure chest of assets for a front office that may need to get aggressive to secure its quarterback of the future.
But they won’t be the only ones shopping near the top of the board. The Saints, Raiders, and Browns all figure to be in the quarterback market, which could create a bidding war for those top spots.
In the meantime, the Jets’ current quarterback situation remains fluid. After signing Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million deal in the offseason, the team benched him two weeks ago in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor. It’s been a revolving door under center, and that instability continues to be one of the biggest issues holding the Jets back.
No Tanking Mentality Under Aaron Glenn
First-year head coach Aaron Glenn made it clear last week that the Jets aren’t interested in tanking - no matter what the draft implications might be.
“I’m going to give you a line that you guys have heard before: You play the game to win,” Glenn said. “It’s just not in a coach or players mentality to go out there and lose games. We’re not built that way.”
That mindset has been evident in how the Jets have played over the last month. They’re competing hard, winning some close ones, and showing signs of life despite a lost season in the standings.
So while the Gardner trade may have looked like a long-term play for both sides, it’s already having an impact in the short term - for better and for worse. The Colts are hoping their All-Pro corner isn’t out too long. The Jets, meanwhile, are watching a young receiver blossom and a draft board shuffle with every win.
And as we head into the final stretch of the season, both teams - one chasing the playoffs, the other chasing a quarterback - are finding out just how much one trade can shape the road ahead.