The Indianapolis Colts have made believers of analysts and fans alike with an unexpected surge in the first half of the '25 season. The front office is feeling confident as well, as general manager Chris Ballard pulled off the shocker of the NFL trade deadline by going all-in at cornerback with the acquisition of Sauce Gardner.
The Colts came out of Week 9 with a frustrating loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they sit at 7-2 overall with a two-game lead in the AFC South. More importantly, in a wide-open AFC where the perennial superpowers, the Kansas City Chiefs, look quite mortal in third place in the AFC West. Perhaps the Colts are sensing a chance to make a run at a top seed and a real surge for a Super Bowl appearance.
The Colts were rumored to be in the mix for cornerback help, but no one saw this move coming, a trade for one of the game's truly elite corners. Gardner is a two-time first-team All-Pro who is only in his fourth NFL season. He's also incredibly reliable with an average of 16 starts through his first three years.
The Colts now look like the biggest hurdle for the Chiefs in the AFC after trading for Sauce Gardner.
Gardner's presence in the secondary gives the Colts the shutdown corner who will take pressure off of the rest of the secondary. Not only can Gardner provide elite coverage, but he's a well-rounded presence who gives everyone else the chance to lean into their strengths by shouldering a larger load.
Ballard rarely makes a deadline move, so this is a signal fire for Colts fans and the rest of the AFC. For the Chiefs, it also makes an upcoming opponent that much more dangerous. The Chiefs are in their bye week for Week 10, but come out with back-to-back contests against the division-leading Denver Broncos followed by a visit from Indy in Week 12.
The upside of this deal for the Chiefs is that it's clear the Jets are selling assets after floating the idea that they were asking outrageous prices for players who should be readily available. The list of players likely to wiggle free includes running back Breece Hall and defensive end Jermaine Johnson. Both players would solve big issues for the Chiefs—the former would counter a lack of dynamism and depth in the backfield, the latter would round out an otherwise middling group of edge rushers.
The Colts were already the story of the season with Daniel Jones finding success under Shane Steichen's leadership atop the AFC. Now they've added one of the NFL's best overall defenders and made themselves into a significant hurdle in the conference for the Chiefs and everyone else—if they weren't already.