Jets’ trade to Colts hits hard as Sauce Gardner shares emotional reaction

Well, that was unexpected. The New York Jets made a blockbuster trade ahead of Tuesday's deadline, sending star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for two first-round picks. To say that this trade was unexpected and shocking would be a massive understatement.

No one saw this coming, especially since the Jets had just signed Gardner to an extension a mere four months ago. At the time, they were committing to Gardner continuing to be the face and leader on the defensive side of the ball. Clearly, that's out the window now.

Sauce is now heading to Indianapolis, where he'll get to play for a playoff-contending team. How does he feel about the trade? It's hard to know for sure, but he doesn't seem to be angry at Jets fans.

The now former Jet (ugh) reacted to the trade on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "New York it's been real" followed by a green heart emoji. I'm not crying, you're crying.

Sauce Gardner’s post-trade message has Jets fans feeling emotional

Seeing Gardner's reaction makes this trade suck even more. He clearly enjoyed being a member of the New York Jets and wanted to remain with this team, hence the reason he was signed to an extension. That being said, he now has a chance to play in a postseason game, an opportunity he hadn't had in New York and wasn't going to get this year if he remained a Jet.

In return for their best player, the Jets are receiving two first-round picks (in 2026 and 2027, respectively) and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell from the Colts. Sure, Mitchell is going to bolster the wide receiver room, but he will be a footnote in this trade. The real story is Gardner being dealt away and why the Jets would do this.

It's going to take a long time for Jets fans to get over this, and truthfully, some might not ever be able to. This is a devastating and confusing blow that will take quite some time for the fans to get past. Best of luck to Sauce Gardner, though, and Jets fans will definitely be rooting for him to succeed in Indy.