Sauce Gardner went from last place to first.
The New York Jets have agreed to trade the star cornerback to the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday for two first-round draft picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The Jets will receive the Colts’ first-round selection in 2026 and in 2027, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced the trade.
It's the biggest
blockbuster ahead of the NFL's trade deadline at 4 p.m. EST.
In other moves, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made a deal to bolster the NFL's second-worst defense and the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks got playmakers.
The Cowboys acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals for a seventh-round pick on Tuesday. Hours before the Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night to fall to 3-5-1, Jones said the team had a deal in place to add a player who could improve the defense.
Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers goes to Jacksonville from Las Vegas for draft picks in the fourth and sixth rounds.
The Seattle Seahawks got wideout Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints for picks in the fourth and fifth rounds, a person with knowledge of the deal told the AP on condition of anonymity because the teams haven't announced.
Gardner, an All-Pro selection in his first two seasons, signed a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension with the Jets in July. He was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022. He joins the AFC South-leading Colts (7-2) after spending his first 3 1/2 seasons with the losing Jets.
Shaheed goes from the 1-8 Saints to the 6-2 Seahawks, giving Sam Darnold another option along with Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Meyers, who requested a trade, gives the Jaguars (5-3) depth. Travis Hunter will miss at least three more games and Brian Thomas Jr,. Dyami Brown and Tim Patrick are dealing with injuries.
Wilson had requested a trade after his playing time decreased for the Bengals, who have the league's worst defense. The Cowboys traded two-time All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay before the season, leaving a huge void that Wilson doesn't fill.
“Some guys have the ability to see a certain key and, at the same time, take a step up in the hole," Jones said on his radio show on 105.3 The Fan. "He knows how to get in the gaps right now. ... For what we need right now, he can come in immediately and help us at linebacker.”
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who led the Cowboys to three Super Bowls in the 1990s, mocked the deal during the ESPN broadcast.
“He may want to cancel that trade,” Aikman said. “I don’t think one player from what I’ve seen tonight is going to make a difference for this group.”
The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles have been aggressive. General manager Howie Roseman continues adding players to a talented roster to improve the team's chances for a repeat.
Since the Eagles (6-2) last played a game, they’ve acquired edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and cornerbacks Michael Carter II and Jaire Alexander.
Phillips, who came from Miami on Monday for a third-round pick, immediately bolsters the pass rush. The 2021 first-round pick had three sacks in his last five games for the Dolphins. All of Philadelphia’s edge rushers combined have three sacks this season.
Carter gives the defense a veteran slot cornerback to allow defensive coordinator Vic Fangio more flexibility to use Cooper DeJean outside. Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is a low-risk, high-reward acquisition.
The Baltimore Ravens also added an edge rusher, getting Dre’Mont Jones from Tennessee for a conditional fifth-round pick. Jones has 4 1/2 sacks this season so he’s an upgrade for the Ravens (3-5) at a position of need.
Several trades already went down last month. The Bengals acquired Joe Flacco. The Rams got cornerback Roger McCreary. Defensive end Keion White went to the 49ers. Safety Kyle Dugger was traded to the Steelers. The Jaguars and Browns swapped cornerbacks Greg Newsome II and Tyson Campbell.
The Chargers added edge Odafe Oweh in a deal that sent safety Alohi Gilman to the Ravens.
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AP Pro Football Writers Dennis Waszak, Mark Long, Teresa M. Walker and Schuyler Dixon contributed to this report.
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