INDIANAPOLIS – The initial reaction to adding an elite player to a team with the best record in the NFL was predictable.
Shane Steichen’s response when Chris Ballard told him a few weeks ago he working on a trade with the New York Jets that would deliver Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts?
“Pure excitement,” he said Wednesday. “Anytime you can get an elite player in this league to help your team win it, it elevates everybody.”
And Lou Anarumo? The team’s first-year defensive coordinator suddenly had two top-tier corners at his disposal: Gardner and Charvarius Ward.
“Fired up. Excited,” Steichen said of Anarumo’s reaction. I think everyone’s fired up.
“Anytime you can add an elite player . . . the energy level and the juice level adds excitement all around the building.”
The Colts already had established themselves as a serious contender for their first AFC South title since 2014 and first playoff appearance since 2020. At 7-2 heading into Sunday’s game with Atlanta in Berlin, they’re in position to make a strong push for a deep playoff run.
Perhaps more.
Gardner is the NFL’s concussion protocol and must be cleared by an independent neurologist. He was scheduled to practice Wednesday afternoon.
“Hopefully he’ll clear (protocol) here soon,” Steichen said. “Then obviously we’ll see how he picks up the playbook and we’ll go from there.”
If Gardner clears protocol, he’ll undoubtedly start against the Falcons.
“He’s an unbelievable player,” Steichen said. “To get a bona fide No. 1 corner in this league, elevates everybody around us. He’s got all the elite traits you look for. He’s sticky in coverage, the pass breakups, the interceptions.
“He’s feisty. He’s aggressive.”
Steichen insisted his focus – and that of the team – is on the here and now.
“If we worry about the future, right, that’s going to hurt us in the long run,” he said. “We’ve got to worry about today to get better.”
But he admitted Tuesday’s blockbuster trade reinforced everyone’s belief in the validity of the Colts. To acquire Gardner, Ballard had to sent the Jets his 2026 and 2027 first-round picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell.
“It’s a huge move that we’ve got a lot of belief in our football team,” Steichen said. “You make moves like that, it’s huge, right?
“It boosts the confidence in everybody. Our football team’s in a good spot.”