Following a strong start to the 2025 season, the Indianapolis Colts started pulling the trigger and went all out to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy.
Indy traded two first-round picks and a wide receiver to the New York Jets in exchange for All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to bolster the secondary.
Due to injuries, Gardner was unable to suit up much for Indianapolis, playing in 4 games in his first season with the team. Now entering his second season completely healed, the cornerback looks to return to his Pro Bowl ways.
But as Sauce Gardner enters the 2026 season, he gets a reality check from personnel around the league.
Sauce Gardner Falls in Cornerback Rankings
GettyIndianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner
ESPN conducted its annual anonymous executives, coaches and scouts poll for the 2026 season, with Sauce Gardner seeing a fall in the rankings.
Gardner is ranked the ninth-best cornerback in the NFL, a drop from last year’s rankings, ranked as the fifth-best CB. One coach in the league had some strong words for the defender ahead of the 2026 season.
“Sauce lost the sauce,” an NFL offensive coach said, according to Jeremy Fowler. “Now, he got traded for a reason — he’s a long strider and has the confidence to overshadow his weaknesses. He can press and play Cover 2.”
“But he’s not going to tackle all the time, he’s not going to crack replace, and when playing zone, sometimes he’s not playing it correctly. It’s just hard for him to hold up over the course of the game.”
Gardner only played in 11 games in the 2025 season, recording 36 total tackles between the NY Jets and the Colts. In his career, the defensive back has logged 217 tackles.
Outside of the 2025 season, the cornerback has played 15 or more games in a season. Getting back to 100% could help Gardner return to his old All-Pro form. But one source in the league doesn’t believe the defender could do it.
“Not many move like him,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “He moves like a much smaller man. But he’s not making plays at the same rate he was.”
Gardner on His Goals for the 2026 Season
GettyCornerback Sauce Gardner of the Indianapolis Colts
Training camp kicks off in a few weeks and the Indianapolis Colts look to bounce back after ending the 2025 season on a 7-game losing streak.
With the return of a completely healed Sauce Gardner (along with other key injured players), the Colts are looking better than their plagued roster from last year.
Gardner spoke to the media during minicamp and revealed his goals for the team and his individual goals. The defender mentioned that he wants to earn another Pro Bowl and All-Pro nod, while hepling the team make the playoffs and possibly winning the Super Bowl. If he does the former two, he can quiet the doubters around the league.
Indianapolis has not made the playoffs since the 2020 season, tied for the fifth-longest drought in the league.
Indy has a strong roster on paper to make that happen. It’s just a matter if Sauce Gardner and other key contributors remain healthy during the 2026 season.
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