Are the Jets lost in the sauce?

Sauce Gardner doesn’t seem to think so, even after New York dealt him to the Indianapolis Colts midway through the 2025 season.

In an interview ahead of the Super Bowl in California, Gardner extolled Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and the culture he has established in Florham Park.

“He has a very tough mindset,” Gardner said of Glenn. “Like, ‘This is the way that things are going to be.’ Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time, that’s the right way. He’s very disciplining, he’s going to discipline his players. And if you’re not on the same accord, you’re just not going to be there.

“I’m excited to see what they (the Jets) have in store. Given him having a whole season of seeing, alright, this is what we need, and this person, this is the group of men that we need.”

“I truly believe [Glenn] and [Jets GM Darren] Mougey, them two cooking together, they’re going to do their thing.”

Gardner signed a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension with the Jets last July. Less than four months later, following an 0-7 start to the regular season, Gardner was shockingly traded to the Colts on the day of the NFL’s trade deadline. New York received two first-round picks (2026 and 2027) and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell for the two-time All-Pro cornerback.

At the time of the trade, the Colts were 7-2, sitting atop the AFC standings. After the trade, Indianapolis stumbled to a 1-7 finish, resulting in an 8-9 record and a fifth consecutive season out of the playoffs. As a result, the Jets’ 2026 first-round pick via Indianapolis landed at 16th overall.

Due to a calf injury, Gardner played in only four games for the Colts, leaving two of them early. Indianapolis went 1-3 in Gardner’s appearances, with the Cincinnati product recording 16 tackles, three passes defended, and no interceptions across 196 defensive snaps. In coverage, Gardner allowed 7-of-13 passing for 51 yards and no touchdowns, committing one penalty.

Meanwhile, Glenn and the Jets have endured a tumultuous few weeks since the regular season concluded. The team parted ways with 10 coaches, including offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, and that total does not include Steve Wilks, who was fired in-season.

After weeks of speculation, Glenn finally settled on two new coordinators, hiring Brian Duker on defense and Frank Reich on offense. Next, the Jets still have to fill out the majority of their assistant coaching roles.

The waters are murky in Florham Park, but the Jets’ former superstar seems optimistic about Glenn’s ability to steer the ship in the right direction, even after he was “stunned” by their decision to trade him.