It doesn’t take much to win some fans over, and traded Jets star Sauce Gardner knows that.
A few days after the Pro-Bowl cornerback was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for two first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, he brought two fans along with him.
The fans are Bryce and Trey Vilardi, a couple of young die-hards who went viral after their father, T.J. Vilardi, posted a video of himself breaking the Gardner trade news to his sons.
The elder son seems to take the news okay, asking for more information, while the younger one breaks down in tears.
Gardner saw the video and reposted it, saying, “You should’ve at least waited until (tomorrow),” via X/Twitter.
On Thursday, the Colts posted a video of Gardner holding a pair of signed jerseys, which were then delivered to Bryce and Trey.
“What’s going on, Bryce, Trey?” Gardner said in an Instagram video shared by the Colts. “Just want to say I appreciate y’all for the support. With that being said, I’m gonna be giving you all two of my first Colts jerseys.”
Mr. Vilardi later shared a video of his sons receiving the jerseys.
It’s almost certainly the most shocking trade in franchise history. And the Colts paid a premium for it, giving the Jets two first-round picks in return for Gardner. One in 2026 and one in 2027, according to multiple reports.
The Jets are also receiving Colts receiver Adonai Mitchell in the trade, according to ESPN.
That’s good value for the Jets, but it comes with a lot of questions and potential problems. And of course, the biggest question of all, is it smart to trade away a well-respected player who was on pace to be one of the best in franchise history, even if the return is great?
Gardner is already onto Indianapolis (and could make his debut against the Falcons in Berlin on Sunday, after missing the Jets win over the Bengals with a concussion), posting a farewell to Jets fans on social media moments before the deal went public.
“New York it’s been real,” Gardner posted with a green heart emoji.
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