Jets GM: Colts' offer for Sauce was 'too good to pass up'

New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey admits that the trade offer from the Indianapolis Colts for Sauce Gardner was simply too good to refuse.

"When it came down to the last few days, Indianapolis kept getting richer and richer with their value, and eventually was too good to pass up," Mougey said Tuesday.

Gardner was dealt to the Colts for two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell prior to the trade deadline Tuesday, just four months after the cornerback signed a four-year, $120.4-million extension. The fourth overall selection in the 2022 draft has been with the Jets for his entire career.

"We had a lot of discussion going through that contract process and some of the details we had to have in that contract because you never know how the future is going to unfold," Mougey added. "And we always wanted to be in a position to potentially trade these contracts."

The Jets will incur approximately $19-million of dead money over the next two years due to trading Gardner, according to Spotrac. However, they will reportedly save just over $25 million through 2027 as a result of the move. Gardner's extension was set to kick in at the start of the 2026 campaign.

Mougey also dealt defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for a first-round pick in 2027 and a 2026 second-round selection. The Jets now have five first-round selections in the next two drafts, and around $117-million of projected cap space for next offseason, per Spotrac.

Teams were inquiring about defensive end Jermaine Johnson, though New York's asking price of a second-round selection was not met, according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz.

The Jets are 1-7 and would be picking third in the 2026 draft if the season ended today. They face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.