As the Chicago Bears look for trade options that can bolster their playoff push, the Indianapolis Colts may be willing to play ball with regard to a Sauce Gardner blockbuster. After they traded future Hall of Fame guard Quenton Nelson, all bets are off.
The Colts traded Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks for a package centered around a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Indianapolis is clearly selling anyone and everyone in the name of trying to restock for a proper rebuild in the next few seasons.
If Nelson and Jonathan Taylor were on the market, Gardner could be had as well. While the Colts may not want to trade him just one calendar year after parting with an eye-watering collection of assets, their current position could lead them to take Ryan Poles up on this hypothetical move.
Bears may need to consider Sauce Gardner trade after Quenton Nelson move
Gardner gets plenty of unfair flak as a player. Yes, giving up two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to acquire him was a steep price, and he hasn't looked like the All-Pro he was with the New York Jets after his tackling limitations were exposed. However, Daniel Jones tearing his Achilles and regressing to the mean is why the Colts are where they are.
Gardner is still one of the toughest cornerbacks to throw on in the entire league. He lacks gaudy interception numbers, but that is the byproduct of teams very rarely challenging him down the field. Even with concerns about his physicality, Gardner can swallow up even some of the best receivers in the league.
The Bears may have entered the year thinking that their secondary may have been good enough to withstand the loss of free agent signing Coby Bryant, but the cornerback room has been a gutting disappointment. Between both Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson regressing, an upgrade is needed in the worst way.
Sauce Gardner could be what this Chicago Bears team needs
With no first-round pick as a result of the Gardner trade, interim Colts GM Ed Dodds is trying to get as many picks back as possible. Only getting a third-rounder and fifth-rounder for Nelson, impending free agency be damned, suggests that acquiring players may be one step short of first-come, first-serve.
Read more: Seahawks' Quenton Nelson trade just complicated Bears' Week 8 MNF game plan
The Bears have shown they have been willing to part with top picks in the past as they try to get "their guy" on either side of the ball, and Gardner is still at the top of his game. If the Bears want to get someone who can beef up their cornerback room, they may not get a better option on the market than a former All-Pro like Gardner.
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