Jets fans should feel a sense of deja vu after Sauce Gardner's Week 1 Colts outing

New York Jets fans shouldn't have any disdain for former first-round pick Sauce Gardner. He was never a malcontent the way some of their other former star defensive backs were, and he has said nothing but nice things about the organization since being traded away at last year's deadline.

However, that doesn't mean they can't enjoy what's currently unfolding in Indianapolis, which is the fanbase realizing what Jets fans figured out midway through the 2025 season. For as good a cover cornerback Gardner is, he doesn't necessarily impact winning the way you would want him to.

No one will be able to take away Gardner's hardware. He's a former Defensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time first-team All-Pro player. But that doesn't change the fact that the Colts may be feeling some buyer's remorse right now.

After Gardner's Week 1 outing against the Baltimore Ravens, there are stats that point to his dominance on defense and his shortcomings as a No. 1 cornerback. It should remind Jets fans of the former Cincinnati standout's up-and-down time in New York.

New York Jets fans know all too well Sauce Gardner's highs and lows as a defender

While it could certainly be attributed to a great individual outing for Gardner, the Colts' defense gave up 41 points, including 31 in the first half, and the unit looked pretty outmatched as a whole.

And that's the exact problem that gave Jets fans fits last year in New York. Yes, he's a great player, but with him and former defensive tackle Quinnen Williams as the cornerstones of the Jets' defense, they were collectively a bad unit.

It's why Jets fans were mostly in agreement with the decision to trade the young star midway through the 2025 season. They weren't headed in the right direction, and the return of two first-round picks, along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.

Pro Football Focus not as kind to Sauce Gardner's Week 1 Colts outing

While Gardner only surrendered one reception in coverage this past Sunday, Pro Football Focus still felt that the Colts cornerback underperformed, to say the least.

The former Jets draft pick recorded an overall grade of 47.9, ranking 71st among 91 qualified cornerbacks. His coverage grade of 51.6 ranked 67th among his peers.

PFF grades can always be given or taken, depending on the context. But it feels important to note them with Colts' fans growing frustration with the fact that they're 1-8 since making that fateful deadline trade less than a year ago.

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