The New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts rocked the NFL world on Tuesday when the teams worked out a massive trade deal just hours before the NFL’s trade deadline.
The deal sent Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, New York’s prized former first-round pick in 2022, to Indianapolis in exchange for 2026 and 2027 first-round picks plus former second-round receiver AD Mitchell, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Gardner has been with the Jets for his entire NFL career and even signed a record-setting four-year, $120.4 million extension with the team in July, which makes the news of his trade even more surprising.
Gardner has “no negative feelings toward the Jets,” though, after the trade, according to a report from Rich Cimini of ESPN.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Cimini says that even though Gardner was “stunned” by the move, he is staying positive. He’s going to a team with a 7-2 record, after all, and leaving a 1-7 franchise.
Read more: Jets’ Blockbuster Trades Bring Heavy Backlash for Browns
“Sauce Gardner was stunned by the trade, per his brother and agent Allante Gardner, who told me he learned of the deal around 12:15 in a call from the Jets,” Cimini said. “They had no inkling before that, he said. Sauce has no negative feelings toward the Jets; he understands it’s a business, Allante said.”
Cimini also said that Gardner got a call from Jets head coach Aaron Glenn about the trade. Gardner also took to X to say his farewell.
“New York it’s been real,” he said in a short post.
He also reposted statistics from Next Gen Stats, noting that he has faced opponent No. 1 receivers on 45.5% of his coverage matchups, the NFL’s highest rate (min. 125 matchups).
The Jets seemed set with their stars last July, after signing Gardener and also, just 24 hours later, coming to terms on a long-term extension with wide receiver Garrett Wilson, worth $32.5 million per year, according to Over the Cap.
Read more: Jets Linked to Another Blockbuster Trade After Sauce Gardner Deal
