But let's not lose sight of what's happening with the Colts ' defense. Indianapolis traded for former All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner at the NFL trade deadline as a means of going all in to contend in this year's playoffs. They need Gardner to be a star player and a difference maker. Full stop.

New York received first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 from Indianapolis in the Sauce Gardner trade.

Indianapolis Colts' cornerback Sauce Gardner was not going to practice on Wednesday, according to head coach Shane Steichen. Gardner continues to work through a calf injury that he sustained in the Colts ' Week 13 matchup with the Houston Texans. He did not practice at all last week and was ruled out of this past Sunday's game.

Sauce Gardner received a positive injury update after exiting the Indianapolis Colts' loss vs. the Houston Texans.

The Colts (8-4), who have lost back-to-back games since their Week 11 bye, have the hardest remaining strength of schedule in the NFL. Their final five opponents are the Jacksonville Jaguars (twice), Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Texans.

Sauce Gardner suffered a calf injury in the Colts' loss to the Texans, but it isn't expected to result in him landing on injured reserve.

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner left Sunday's game against the Houston Texans.

Sauce Gardner will miss some time for the Indianapolis Colts, but he could make a return later in the year.

The Colts hope to rebound from a three-game losing streak but Sauce Gardner has yet to return to practice after straining his calf.

Jones underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn right Achilles that he suffered in Week 14 against the Jaguars, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The recovery timeline for Jones is 6-to-8 months, which puts Jones in a position to be fully cleared for the start of training camp in July of 2026.