Sauce Gardner trade: The Jets are one of the worst teams in the NFL and just traded their best defensive player

The Jets traded 25-year-old, two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts and Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys.

The 1-7 New York Jets made a splash Tuesday in advance of the NFL’s trade deadline, except they won’t be getting any reinforcements in time to save their season.

The Jets traded 25-year-old, two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for two first-round draft picks and receiver AD Mitchell, according to multiple reports. Gardner appeared to confirm the news on X, saying, “New York it’s been real.”

And not long after trading Gardner, New York also parted ways with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, sending the two-time Pro Bowler and 2022 first-team All-Pro to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith, per reports. The Jets selected Williams third overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he is in the second year of a four-year, $96 million extension he signed in 2023.

New York’s more shocking move was dealing Gardner, who was the fourth overall pick in 2022, and has since become a highly decorated player. In addition to All-Pro honors, Gardner won defensive rookie of the year in 2022, leading the NFL in passes defended with 20.

He is also the only cornerback since 1970 to be named first-team All-Pro in each of his first two years in the league.