The Indianapolis Colts are ready to see cornerback Sauce Gardner after a full, healthy offseason with the team.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indianapolis Colts made a monumental move at last season's trade deadline, but it was one of several things in 2025 that ultimately failed to turn out as planned, as the team missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record.
The Colts sent their first-round picks in each of the next two drafts and wide receiver AD Mitchell to the New York Jets in exchange for cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Gardner was the fourth-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and although he was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year that year and was named a First-Team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons, he became expendable as the Jets shifted more into a rebuilding mode.
The Colts paired Gardner with Charvarius Ward Sr., another former All-Pro cornerback that they acquired in 2025. The duo played in just one game together in Week 12 before a calf injury for Gardner and a third concussion on the year for Ward held each of them to just one game in the final month of the season.
Now, the Colts are full of hope as Gardner experiences a full, healthy offseason as a member of the team before the 2026 season begins.
Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) cannot make a catch against Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) in the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images"Twenty-four years old, with upside still," Colts general manager Chris Ballard said this week in describing Gardner. "Unfortunately, he had the calf injury, but we're excited. I mean, he could impact the game just with his ability to take a guy out of the game. I think when he played for us, it was really good. Now look, wideouts are good in this league. They're going to catch balls. But when he's locked in and healthy and going, he's an impact player for us. That's what he'll be."
To Ballard's point, both of the Colts' high-priced corners made a significant impact while they were actually on the field.
Gardner appeared in four games for the Colts (completing two). Pro Football Focus charted him as being targeted 13 times, allowing seven catches for 51 yards and no touchdowns, making three pass breakups. Quarterbacks had a passer rating of just 63.3 when targeting him.
Gardner's 77.5 defensive grade made him PFF's ninth-best cornerback in the NFL in 2025, while Ward's 77.1 was 10th.
Looking at the Colts' cornerback room in 2026, there are plenty of questions.
Gardner and Ward were marred by injury to the point where Ward was considering retirement at the beginning of the offseason. Rookie Justin Walley was supposed to be the starter opposite of Ward, but suffered a season-ending ACL injury before the regular season even began.
The Colts now hope things sort themselves out positively among Gardner, Ward, Walley, Kenny Moore II, and Mekhi Blackmon. They even have Johnathan Edwards and Jaylon Jones, who played plenty in 2025.
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.