Colts Get Big Update on CB Sauce Gardner After Trade

The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the surprise teams during the 2025 NFL season thus far, with head coach Shane Stiechen molding this team into a legitimate Super Bowl title contender in the AFC.

The Colts are sporting a 7-2 record heading into Week 10’s matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, which will take place overseas in Germany at Olympic Stadium Berlin. The team hopes to bounce back after the loss to Aaron Rodgers‘ Pittsburgh Steelers, while also potentially seeing what they have with newcomer Sauce Gardner at cornerback, who was acquired ahead of the NFL trade deadline earlier this week.

Sauce Gardner’s Status for Colts Debut Revealed

GettySauce Gardner of the Indianapolis Colts, formerly of the New York Jets.

It’s safe to say that the Colts were the big winners after the NFL trade deadline, with the franchise pulling off a blockbuster trade to acquire Gardner, which will vastly improve the team’s secondary in the second half of the 2025 NFL season.

However, it has been uncertain until now whether the two-time All-Pro corner would be able to make his debut with the Colts due to being in concussion protocol, which was further complicated by the team traveling to Germany for Week 10’s matchup with the Falcons.

According to Mike Chappell of FOX54/CBS4 Sports, Gardner has cleared concussion protocol and is expected to play and start in Sunday’s game in Berlin.

This is great news for the Colts, as they get to see how Gardner transforms their defense right out of the gate, only days after the NFL trade deadline passed.

With the Colts already arguably being a legitimate Super Bowl title contender, Indianapolis improved its chances of coming out on top in the AFC this season with the addition of one of the best corners in the NFL.

It’ll be interesting to see what impact Gardner makes in his first game with the Colts and whether that will result in a bounce-back win for the squad, improving their record to 8-2.

In seven games played with the Jets this season, Gardner recorded six passes defended and 20 total tackles.

Colts Legit Title Contenders After Sauce Gardner Trade?

GettySauce Gardner #1 of the Indianapolis, formerly of the New York Jets.

Before sending shockwaves throughout the league after acquiring Gardner in a deal ahead of the NFL trade deadline, the Colts were widely considered to be one of the best teams in the league this season, with rejuvenated stars Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor leading the way.

Even though it felt like the Colts would eventually come back down to earth and resemble the struggling franchise they’ve been since the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck, Indianapolis has won seven out of its nine games played. It seems to be well on its way to winning the AFC South division title and securing a high seed heading into the NFL playoffs.

The addition of Gardner turns a good team into a potentially great team with Super Bowl aspirations, as they may be able to be as dominant defensively as they already are on the offensive side of the football.

Saints QB Tyler Shough reveals he couldn’t close jaw after painful facial injury

New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough opened up Wednesday afternoon about the painful reality of his first NFL start. The 26-year-old rookie revealed that he couldn’t close his jaw for nearly two days following a violent helmet-to-helmet hit in Sunday’s Week 9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams — a play that resulted in a roughing the passer penalty. The update added yet another difficult moment to a trying season for the Saints, who have struggled to find stability at quarterback. The hit served as a reminder of the physical toll the position demands, especially for young quarterbacks still finding their footing.

ESPN’s Katherine Terrell took to her X (formerly known as Twitter), sharing that Shough was still feeling the effects well into the week, including painful treatment on his jaw area after the game.

“Tyler Shough said he couldn’t close his jaw properly until yesterday because he got hit hard in the face during that sack on Sunday. He said he got treatment via needles to his face/jaw area. ‘Hurt like shit,’ he said. ‘But it’s all part of it.’”

The rookie’s resilience stood out even amid a 34-10 loss. Despite taking the hit from Rams outside linebacker Byron Young, Shough stayed in the game and led the Saints on a 71-yard touchdown drive capped by his first career scoring pass — an 11-yard strike to Juwan Johnson. It became a defining early-career moment for the young Saints quarterback, who continues to showcase toughness behind a shaky offensive line.

Shough, a second-round pick out of Louisville, has already drawn praise from head coach Kellen Moore for his composure under pressure. The Saints’ 1-8 record may not show it, but his development is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise challenging campaign.

The Saints offense remains a work in progress, but performances like Shough’s show a competitive edge the locker room can rally around. As the Saints prepare for Week 10 vs. the Carolina Panthers, all signs point to Shough starting once again — jaw fully intact, but battle-tested.

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