Shannon Sharpe didn’t waste any time after the Colts’ latest collapse. After Indianapolis blew a late lead and fell 27-23 to Dallas on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, Sharpe took aim at Sauce Gardner and the trade that brought him to the Colts.
“Colts kicking their own (expletive) trading 2 1st rounders 4 Ahmad Gardner. He’s gotta go by his govt name.”
That line came after Gardner was beaten on the decisive play of the game. With the Colts ahead 23-20 on Spencer Shrader’s 50-yard field goal and 1:37 left, Dak Prescott launched a deep ball to Ryan Flournoy on Dallas’s next snap.
Gardner stayed with him stride for stride but never turned his head, and Flournoy hauled it in one-handed for 46 yards. From there, Javonte Williams punched in a 1-yard touchdown with 1:08 remaining, Caleb Downs intercepted Daniel Jones, and Dallas escaped after outgaining Indianapolis 508-271.
Gardner had been solid for most of the afternoon. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed two catches on four targets for 11 yards, added a breakup, and made a short tackle on CeeDee Lamb that helped force a punt. But all of that disappeared in the final minute.
“That’s unacceptable,” he said. “I gotta make the play, no matter what plays I made before that.”
Sharpe has been questioning Gardner’s status as an elite corner for weeks, and he kept that conversation going on X after the loss. His criticism wasn’t just about the final coverage bust - it was about the deal that sent Gardner to Indianapolis in the first place.
The trade, completed on Nov. 4, 2025, sent Adonai Mitchell and first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 to New York. The 2026 pick became No. 16, which the Colts used on tight end Kenyon Sadiq.
Per the Star-Telegram, Gardner has allowed 20 catches for 313 yards since the trade, including 13 catches for 262 yards this season.
The Indianapolis Star was just as blunt in its review of the game, calling Gardner “responsible for the play that ended up costing the Colts the game” and saying he “hasn’t been worth the price.”
The loss dropped Indianapolis to 2-7, and the path ahead looks rough. The Colts have lost five straight and still have eight games left, beginning Nov. 15, according to WISH-TV. Their most manageable remaining home game comes Dec. 27 against Cincinnati.
Sunday also exposed how little room there is for error on this roster. Jonathan Taylor was held to 13 carries for 46 yards, and Indianapolis finished with 271 total yards. When the secondary gives up one deep shot at the worst possible time, there’s no way to hide it.
Dallas needed a frantic finish to get past a two-win team, and Brian Schottenheimer drew criticism for the way it unfolded. But Sharpe’s message was aimed squarely at Gardner: Sauce is the nickname of a shutdown corner, the kind of player who erases receivers. Right now, Sharpe argued, the Colts are getting Ahmad instead.
In Other News...
Jets Offense Has A Geno Smith Problem That Keeps Getting Worse
The Jets offense has become a weekly reminder that talent alone does not fix a broken operation, and the latest frustration has centered on the uneasy fit between Geno Smith and offensive coordinator Frank Reich. Their relationship has not produced the kind of rhythm or trust the team needs, and the mismatch in expectations has shown up in the way the offense has sputtered through recent games, including a particularly rough showing against the Chiefs.
For a team trying to find any kind of stability, the concern is not just the production on the field but the sense that both sides may already be thinking beyond the present. Smith and Reich are each being judged on what happens now, yet the bigger question hanging over the Jets is whether either one is fully invested in fixing this partnership before the season slips further away. [Read more 🡒]
Garrett Wilson Just Sent A Clear Message About The Jets Future
Garrett Wilson spent the run-up to the NFL trade deadline at the center of plenty of chatter, with some 49ers fans openly hoping San Francisco might pry the Jets wide receiver loose. Instead, Wilson stayed put, and the deadline passed without New York moving one of its most important young pieces. The 49ers went in a different direction, adding veteran receiver Keenan Allen from the Indianapolis Colts.
For the Jets, keeping Wilson was about more than just avoiding a splashy trade. He remains a foundational player in what the organization hopes will be its next phase, especially as the team looks to stabilize the offense and build around a new quarterback plan. In a season full of uncertainty, retaining a receiver of Wilsons caliber sends a clear signal about where the franchise wants to go next. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Hold A Draft Debate That Could Define Darren Mougey
The Jets are already being pushed into a 2027 draft conversation that could end up shaping Darren Mougeys first major roster-building imprint. With three first-round picks in hand, the team has room to attack both sides of the ball, and the early read is that New York will use that flexibility to keep rebuilding a defense that has been thinned by recent roster changes while also keeping an eye on the long-term quarterback picture.
The names in the discussion tell the story of where the franchise wants to go, with defensive prospects Leonard Moore, Chris Cole, Clev Lubin and Tavion Gadson all drawing attention as possible foundation pieces. The bigger question is how aggressively the Jets will chase a new franchise passer, and whether the front office sees enough in the current college crop to make that the defining move of the class. [Read more 🡒]