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The Indianapolis Colts have made what will go down as the most surprising trade of the 2025 NFL trade deadline. The Colts have acquired star cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets in exchange for two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones.

According to CBS Sports Research, Gardner is the sixth player to be traded in-season for multiple first-round picks in the last 40 years. Believe it or not, the Cots were involved in half of these six trades, as they acquired running back Eric Dickerson from the Los Angeles Rams for multiple first-round picks in 1987, and linebacker Fredd Young from the Seattle Seahawks the following season. 

Jones reports that the Jets were not actively shopping their No. 1 cornerback, but the return from Indy was too good for the front office to pass up. Gardner appeared to confirm the news himself, posting on social media, "New York it's been real."

Colts general manager Chris Ballard issued a statement following the blockbuster trade, saying that Gardner is going to elevate the Colts defense as a whole.

"Having the opportunity to acquire a talented player like Sauce Gardner was one we did not want to pass on. He was a player that we scouted heavily coming out of college and there's a reason he was the fourth overall pick. Sauce is a proven cornerback. His skill and competitive nature will elevate everyone's play on the defensive unit. We're thrilled he's a Colt. On the same note, AD Mitchell is a great person and a great player. We believe he will have success in New York, and we wish him the best as he enters the next chapter of his career."

Just four months ago, the Jets made Gardner the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, as he signed a four-year, $120.4 million extension that averages $30.1 million per year with the franchise that selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Now, the 25-year superstar is embracing a change of scenery.

Two first-round picks is quite an expensive price to pay, but it shows how much the Colts value a young, legitimate CB1, and how serious they are about winning now. Gardner earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after recording 75 combined tackles, two interceptions and a league-leading 20 passes defensed in his first NFL season. He became the first rookie cornerback to ever be named a First Team All-Pro, and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl as well. 

In seven games played this season, Gardner recorded 20 combined tackles and six passes defensed. He allowed 7.2 yards per attempt in coverage over the last two seasons after allowing 4.6 yards per attempt in his first two seasons, and has registered the lowest completion percentage allowed (46%) since entering the league. Gardner has three career interceptions, but picked off just one pass in his last 46 games. 

Gardner joins a secondary that allows 244.8 passing yards per game, which ranks seventh-worst in the NFL through nine weeks. The Colts rank 29th in third-down defense (46%), 26th in completion percentage allowed on throws of 20+ air yards (44%) and last in passing yards per game outside the numbers (152.2).

As for the Jets' new wideout, Mitchell caught nine passes for 152 yards this season for the Colts after recording 23 receptions for 312 yards as a rookie in 2024. He infamously fumbled a walk-in touchdown against the Rams in Week 4 while celebrating early. 

The No. 52 overall pick played his college football at Texas after transferring in from Georgia, and earned the 2023 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year after leading the conference in receiving touchdowns with 11.