On Tuesday, Jets manager Darren Mougey orchestrated the blockbuster trade that sent Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts months after the star cornerback signed an extension with New York.
The news left Jets fans shocked. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Gardner shared his own reaction.
“I didn’t even have time to process it all the way,” he said. “I just knew I was coming into a great situation. I was running in circles in the house. Because first thing I’m think is I’m about to be back with my boy Alec [Pierce].”
Pierce and Gardner played together at Cincinnati.
“They winning right now,” Gardner said. “So I just know what I can add. I was happy. But at the same time, I didn’t have no time to be like, ‘Dang, I’m getting traded right now.’ I was just all good vibes, because at the end of the day, that’s part of the business.
The Jets receive two first-round picks (one in 2026 and one in 2027) in return for Gardner. They also got receiver Adonai Mitchell in the trade.
The Jets selected Gardner with the fourth overall pick in the 2022 Draft and he was Defensive Rookie of the Year that season. Just a few months ago, the Jets appeared to acknowledge him as a cornerstone of the franchise by signing him to a four-year extension worth $120 million.
Moments after the news broke, Gardner posted a farewell on social media.
“New York it’s been real,”he wrote on X, along with a green heart emoji.
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