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The Indianapolis Colts thought they were getting one of, if not the top young shutdown cornerback in the NFL when they traded two first-round picks plus receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets for him last November.
And in the four games he played for the team, he put forth a solid performance.
Gardner totaled 16 tackles and three passes defended, he allowed 7.3 yards per reception (second-lowest among Colts CBs to play 100 or more coverage snaps), a 53.8 completion percentage, and a 63.3 passer rating against, per Pro Football Focus.
And While Gardner has been known as a true shutdown cover corner — the kind of CB that quarterbacks typically don’t throw to — he admitted on Thursday that he wants to change the narrative around what kind of player he is.
Gardner even laid out a challenge to every QB on the Colts’ 2026 schedule.
Sauce Gardner #1 of the Indianapolis Colts warms up before kickoff against the Jacksonville Jaguars prior to the NFL football game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
“As a corner, we want those accolades — we want those statistics, we want picks, we want PBUs, we want all those things,” Gardner told reporters. “So I used to think that way like my first couple of years in the league, but it’s like I want more now.
“I want to make plays on the ball. A lot more plays. So that’s why I said I want quarterbacks to look at me and be like, ‘Yeah, let me go at him real quick just to see something real quick.’”
The 25-year-old Gardner typically shadows the opposing team’s top receiver, but he doesn’t usually see a lot of targets.
In his rookie season in 2022, Gardner was targeted 73 times and he allowed just 33 receptions (a 45.2 completion percentage against), according to PFF.
In the three years since, Gardner hasn’t been targeted more than 51 times in any season — 51 targets in 2023, 47 targets in 2024, 35 targets in 2025 (though he played just 11 games last season).
While Gardner wants to be challenged more next season, quarterbacks have four years of tape on him that would suggest testing him may not be a worthwhile gamble.
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And in the four games he played for the team, he put forth a solid performance.
Gardner totaled 16 tackles and three passes defended, he allowed 7.3 yards per reception (second-lowest among Colts CBs to play 100 or more coverage snaps), a 53.8 completion percentage, and a 63.3 passer rating against, per Pro Football Focus.
And While Gardner has been known as a true shutdown cover corner — the kind of CB that quarterbacks typically don’t throw to — he admitted on Thursday that he wants to change the narrative around what kind of player he is.
Gardner even laid out a challenge to every QB on the Colts’ 2026 schedule.
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Sauce Gardner #1 of the Indianapolis Colts warms up before kickoff against the Jacksonville Jaguars prior to the NFL football game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
“As a corner, we want those accolades — we want those statistics, we want picks, we want PBUs, we want all those things,” Gardner told reporters. “So I used to think that way like my first couple of years in the league, but it’s like I want more now.
“I want to make plays on the ball. A lot more plays. So that’s why I said I want quarterbacks to look at me and be like, ‘Yeah, let me go at him real quick just to see something real quick.’”
The 25-year-old Gardner typically shadows the opposing team’s top receiver, but he doesn’t usually see a lot of targets.
In his rookie season in 2022, Gardner was targeted 73 times and he allowed just 33 receptions (a 45.2 completion percentage against), according to PFF.
In the three years since, Gardner hasn’t been targeted more than 51 times in any season — 51 targets in 2023, 47 targets in 2024, 35 targets in 2025 (though he played just 11 games last season).
While Gardner wants to be challenged more next season, quarterbacks have four years of tape on him that would suggest testing him may not be a worthwhile gamble.
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