The 2025 season for the New York Jets has been nothing short of a disaster. With a disappointing 1-7 record, the team decided to make significant changes at the NFL trade deadline, embarking on a fire sale of their top talent following their poor start to the season.
One of the most notable moves was the trade of defensive lineman Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys. However, the biggest shock came when the Jets traded cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts. The news reverberated throughout the NFL world and even took many former New York Jets players by surprise.
In fact, some past players only discovered the trade while attending the funeral of former Jets center Nick Mangold. Darelle Revis, one of the most prominent former Jets, was among the first to react. Initially stunned by the news, Revis later praised the move and commended both teams involved.
“No, they didn’t,” Revis said matter-of-factly when informed of the trade. “You’re joking.” When someone showed him Gardner’s social media post bidding farewell to New York, Revis shook his head in disbelief. The trade was real, and the news left him truly stunned.
This move echoed Revis’s own experience when then-first-time Jets GM John Idzik traded him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on April 21, 2013. After taking some time to adjust, Revis shared his perspective on the trade involving Gardner.
“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 from the Gardner and Williams trades, the Jets now hold five first-round picks over the next two drafts—two in 2026 and three in 2027. This influx of high-value draft capital could be pivotal in reshaping the franchise’s future.
“It starts with trying to find a franchise quarterback,” Revis noted. Having played alongside Tom Brady on the New England Patriots’ 2014 Super Bowl championship team, Revis understands the significance of that position. “I think those guys have been trying to do that for the last couple of years.”
The trade sent shockwaves through the NFL community. While many were surprised to see the Jets part ways with a player of Gardner’s caliber, the return they received made the move a strategic one with an eye on long-term success.
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-york-jets/jets-news-revis-stunned-to-learn-of-gardner-trade-at-nick-mangolds-funeral