The NFL trade deadline is 4 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, November 4, so teams are working hard to get their trades in before the clock strikes that time. One massive trade that went down on Tuesday, just hours before the trade deadline, was the New York Jets trading Sauce Gardner, the teams’ former first round pick from the NFL draft in 2022, to the Indianapolis Colts.
Former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is heading up the Jets, of course, and since the team has a record of 1-7, it makes sense that Glenn would make big moves ahead of the trade deadline. But, this one is big. Gardner will become part of the Jets’ NFC rivals, and in turn, the Colts will get a 2026 and 2027 first round pick, as well as former first rounder AD Mitchell, according to Ian Rapoport.
Now, NFL players are reacting to the big news, and one is Detroit Lions cornerback D.J. Reed. There’s a strong tie between Reed and Gardner, because Reed used to play for the Jets. He left New York this offseason to sign a deal with the Lions, and had a solid start with the team before getting placed on injury reserve.
Sauce Gardner Trade Draws Strong Reaction From Detroit Lions Cornerback D.J. Reed
Now, both Gardner and Reed have left the Jets franchise, and both, at one time, were part of the promise of the Jets’ budding defense. Reed is weighing in on the move, too. Right after news broke of the trade, he took to X to react, simply posting, “Bro” with a collection of surprised emojis.
Trade trade not only helps the Colts, but it also hurts the Lions. The Colts have a record of 7-2 this year, and right now, they’re the biggest competition to take the top spot in the NFC. Even though the Detroit Lions aren’t scheduled to go up against the Colts during the regular season, they could go up against each other in the postseason.
Gardner also took to X to say farewell to New York, with a post stating, “New York it’s been real” with a green heart emoji.
NFL Experts Weigh In on Sauce Gardner Trade
NFL experts and analysts are looking at the Gardner trade and weighing in. “This is as big of an in-season trade as you’ll find in NFL history and one that came out of left field,” Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports notes in a piece out on Tuesday, November 4.
“While the Jets do find themselves with one of the worst records in the NFL at 1-7 and at the bottom of the AFC East, Gardner was not on the bingo card to be dealt at the deadline,” Sullivan adds. “That’s especially true given that the team had just inked him to a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension back in July.”
So, as Sullivan points out, for the Colts, the Gardner trade is a great deal as they perfect their already stellar lineup that’s quietly made them the No. 1 seed in the NFL going into Week 10 with that 7-2 record.
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