The Indianapolis Colts made a bold move at the trade deadline, hoping to elevate a team trending toward being very good this season to greatness. Cornerback Sauce Gardner didn't come cheaply from the New York Jets, though, and he will be expensive into the future as well. This is going to affect other decisions.
While Gardner's cap hit in 2026 isn't awful, NFL teams don't base contract talks on only one season most of the time. Good players need to be under contract for several years, of course, which helps a team build consistency and ensure constant quality.