The 2025 season for the New York Jets has been a disaster. The Jets are 1-7, and at the NFL trade deadline, they went on a fire sale of their talent after the way they started the season. New York traded away Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys. However, the biggest shocker was the fact that they traded Sauce Gardner away to the Indianapolis Colts.
The news was such a shock to the NFL world and past New York Jets players. Some former players even discovered the news while attending the funeral of former New York Jets center Nick Mangold. Darelle Revis was the most prominent member to react to the news. He was initially shocked, but later praised the move and gave kudos to both sides. ESPN NFL reporters, Jeremy Fowler, Stephen Holder, and Dan Graziano, were the ones to report on Revis and the rest of the NFL world's reaction.
“No, they didn't,” Revis said matter-of-factly when informed of the trade. “You're joking.”
Somebody showed him Gardner's social media post, bidding farewell to New York. Revis shook his head in disbelief. It was real, and he was stunned.
The move echoed what first-time GM John Idzik did with Revis by trading him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on April 21, 2013. After taking some time to adjust to the news, Revis praised the move.
“I guess this is kind of a similar path for Sauce,” Revis said. “In this situation, I think the Johnson family is trying to look to the future, getting these draft picks for him. It's been a tough year, really tough for the organization, but I think the future is always bright and you can always turn things around.”
With the returns for the Gardner and Williams trades, the Jets hold five first-round picks over the subsequent two drafts, with two in 2026 and three in 2027. “It starts with trying to find a franchise quarterback,” said Revis, who played with Tom Brady on the New England Patriots' 2014 Super Bowl championship team. “I think those guys have been trying to do that for the last couple of years.”
The move sent shockwaves across the NFL world. The fact that the Jets got rid of a player like Gardner should come as a surprise to everyone, but what they received in return was worth it.
