Sauce Gardner said on Apr. 23 that he does not feel pressure to live up to the high expectations set by the Indianapolis Colts trading away their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to acquire him from the New York Jets. The cornerback, a two-time first-team Associated Press All-Pro, addressed reporters ahead of the upcoming draft, where the Colts will not have a first-round selection due to last November’s trade.
Gardner said he is focused on his performance rather than external expectations. “It ain’t no pressure, you know,” Gardner said Tuesday. “If I got to be the first-round pick the next two years, I’m going to work regardless.”
Gardner missed five games in 2025 after suffering a non-contact calf injury in Week 13 against Houston Texans, which limited his debut season with Indianapolis to three games. He now aims to prove his value as he enters his second year with the team.
“I’m always trying to figure out and find ways to get better,” Gardner said. “This whole organization, if there’s anything I could do better, or anything that they want to see out of me, they’re going to tell me.”
Head coach Shane Steichen praised Gardner’s abilities when discussing the trade last November: “His resumé speaks for itself,” Steichen said at that time. “He’s an unbelievable player. To get a bona fide number one corner in this league, it elevates everybody around us… Just to add that to the fold in the back end with the guys we already got back there, it’s going to elevate everybody.” In his career so far, Gardner has recorded 19 interceptions and made significant contributions defending passes and stopping runs.
With veteran leaders Kenny Moore II and Zaire Franklin departing or requesting trades this offseason, Gardner acknowledged he must take on more responsibility within the locker room as one of its younger leaders at age 24: “Being able to come in midseason and just see how those guys are leading the team is definitely something I pay attention to,” he said. “I feel like cornerbacks (aren’t) really captains on teams all the time, and that’s definitely something I want to chase.”
