INDIANAPOLIS – Jim Irsay was prophetic, but premature.
The late owner of the Indianapolis Colts, frustrated and infuriated by his franchise’s latest failure, stood beside his personal jet in mid-January 2022 and insisted things would change. His three emphatic words:
All. Chips. In.
Fast-forward to Tuesday.
It’s not a stretch to insist general manager Chris Ballard, coach Shane Steichen and owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon added an All Chips In tenor to a season that began with a sense of urgency and has evolved into a season of immense possibilities.
The Colts acquired two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner in a trade with the New York Jets, and the required compensation reflected their determination to seal the deal: 2026 and 2027 first-round draft picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell.
“New York, it’s been real,” Gardner posted Tuesday afternoon on his X account.
The strong start to the season unquestionably stirred the Colts’ desire to upgrade a No. 16-ranked defense that can better complement an offense that ranks No. 1 in scoring and No. 2 in total yards.
The Colts are 7-2, tied with the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos for the best records in the league, and sit atop the AFC South.
With so much in front of his team, Ballard delivered arguably the biggest blockbuster move as the NFL’s Tuesday trade deadline neared and the biggest pre-deadline trade of his nine-year tenure.
He had been actively seeking a trade to address defensive issues at edge pass rusher and cornerback, and clearly landed the player he coveted.
“Having the opportunity to acquire a talented player like Sauce Gardner was one we did not want to pass on,” Ballard said in a statement released by the team. “He was a player that we scouted heavily coming out of college and there’s a reason he was the fourth overall pick. Sauce is a proven cornerback. His skill and competitive will elevate everyone’s play on the defensive unit.
“We’re thrilled he’s a Colt.”
Gardner, 25, was the 4th overall pick in 2022 and has already established himself as one of the NFL’s premier corners. Along with being named All-Pro in each of his first two seasons, he’s a two-time Pro Bowler and was Defensive Rookie of the Year in ’22.
The 6’3″, 190-pounder has missed only four of a possible 58 starts and recorded three interceptions, 46 passes defended and 201 tackles. Gardner missed the Jets’ week 8 win over Cincinnati with a concussion and had their bye last week to further recover.
The Jets viewed Gardner as a building block for the future during the offseason when they made him the highest-paid corner in NFL history with a four-year, $120.4 million extension ($30.1 million per season). However, that vision apparently changed with their 1-7 start.
Acquiring Gardner is the latest bold move in the past nine months by Ballard and the Colts. In March, Ballard adjusted his normal cautious free-agent approach with three significant signings:
- Cornerback Charvarius Ward to a three-year contract worth a maximum of $60 million and with $36 million guaranteed.
- Safety Cam Bynum to a four-year, $60 million deal with $32 million guaranteed.
- Quarterback Daniel Jones to a one-year, $14 million contract with approximately $13 million guaranteed.
And now, Sauce Gardner. His hits against the salary cap are modest the rest of this season ($625,000) and in 2026 ($9.5 million) before heavy increases in ’27 ($20.9 million), ’28 ($26.2 million), ’29 ($36.1 million) and ’30 ($36.1 million), according to Spotrac.com.
Pairing Gardner and Ward gives coordinator Lou Anarumo one of the NFL’s top cornerback tandems, although that won’t occur until after the Colts’ bye.
Ward is on the injured reserve list with a concussion and must miss at least Sunday’s game with the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin. Indy’s bye follows its trip to Germany.
Ward also has an All-Pro notch on his belt, has started in three Super Bowls and won a world championship with the Kansas City Chiefs after the 2019 season.
Mitchell moved
Along with sending two first-round picks to the Jets, the Colts also parted ways with Mitchell. The 2024 second-round pick has displayed immense talent in a year and a half, but has dealt with inconsistency and costly mistakes.
In the week 4 27-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Mitchell cost the Colts 14 points by dropping the football short of the goal line on what would have been a 76-yard touchdown and being penalized for a holding call that negated Jonathan Taylor’s 53-yard TD run.
In 25 games, Mitchell had 32 receptions for 464 yards.
Ballard described Mitchell as “a great person and a great player. We believe he will have success in New York, and we wish him the best as he enters the next chapter of his career.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.