Sauce Gardner trade on rise for Jets after Daniel Jones injury

JACKSONVILLE — A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:

1. One team’s misfortune … : Is the Achilles curse working in reverse?

The Jets, doomed by Achilles injuries in 2023 (Aaron Rodgers) and 1999 (Vinny Testaverde), could benefit greatly from last week’s season-ending injury to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones.

No one wants to see a player get hurt, but the Jets own the Colts’ 2026 and 2027 first-round picks that they acquired in theSauce Gardner trade. Currently, the 2026 pick is 18th overall. The Colts (8-5), already reeling before the Jones injury, have a brutal remaining schedule — Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans.

Combined record: 36-16.

If the Colts lose out, the draft pick could go as high as 13th, give or take a spot. Coupled with their own first-round pick (currently seventh), the Jets would have plenty of ammo to trade up for a player. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, anyone?

That would be a stunning turn of events.

When the Jets and Colts made the Gardner deal at the Nov. 4 trade deadline, the Colts were 7-2, looking like a Super Bowl contender. Jets officials figured the draft pick would be toward the bottom of the first round. Now the Colts have lost three straight and face the prospect of starting quarterbackPhilip Rivers, 44, five years removed from retirement.

This is the same Rivers whom the Jets defeated in their next-to-last playoff run, in the 2009 season, when he played for the San Diego Chargers.

One final twist: A Jets loss Sunday to the Jaguars, who are one game ahead of the Colts in the AFC South, could hurt Indianapolis’ playoff bid. The Jets have only a 24% chance to win, per ESPN Analytics.

2. Same as it ever was: This is the Jets’ eighth trip to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars, dating back to 1996, and not once have they arrived with a winning record. Think about that for a moment.

3. Another one-and-done? One of the top storylines over the final four games will be the future of defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

The defense is ranked 28th in EPA (Expected Points Added) and has only one takeaway in what has amounted to a transition year, an on-the-fly rebuild accelerated by the trades of Gardner and Quinnen Williams.

Ultimately, coach Aaron Glenn’s decision will be based on whether he believes Wilks is the right man to lead the defense through the next phase of the rebuilding process. No doubt, there will be many new pieces to integrate in 2026.

Statistically, the defense has regressed over the course of the season. The EPA went from 26th over the first seven games (-23.66) to 29th over the last six (-47.12). The only starter exceeding expectations is defensive tackle Jowon Briggs, which doesn’t reflect well on player development.

Wilks acknowledged the defense has been “inconsistent at times, for sure,” but he also believes there were a handful of encouraging performances.

Glenn was in Wilks’ shoes in 2021 — his Detroit Lions defense was among the league’s worst — but he had the support of coach Dan Campbell. He gave Glenn another chance as the coordinator, which proved mutually beneficial in the long run.

“I was fortunate enough to have a coach that believed in me the same way I believe in Wilks,” Glenn said.

That might sound like a vote of confidence, but Glenn said he will evaluate his staff at the end of the season. Chances are, he will make some changes. Wilks understands the business; he was a one-and-done coach in his last five jobs.

4. Interception drought update: There have been 298 interceptions in the league, including five by Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd, but none by the Jets. They’re one game shy of the all-time mark for most consecutive games without a pick (14 games by the 2024 49ers).

5. One tough Cook-ie: What are the Jets getting in rookie Brady Cook, who makes his NFL starting debut? At Missouri, he was known for his toughness.

Against Auburn last season, Cook injured an ankle on the opening drive, went to the hospital for an MRI and returned to lead two fourth-quarter touchdown drives in a 21-17 victory — his signature game in college.

“He showed the type of leader he is, what he meant to our team,” said tackle Armand Membou, a college teammate of Cook.

Cook becomes the first undrafted rookie in 50 years to start for the Jets.

6. Big (Apple) Turnover:The Jets have an inordinate number of pending free agents — 22 of the 53 players on the current roster. They secured one potential free agent by signing center Josh Myers to a two-year, $11 million extension Friday. Four of their five starters on the offensive line are under contract for 2026. The Myers move likely means former center Joe Tippmann will remain at guard. Still unsigned for ’26 are Breece Hall, Quincy Williams, Nick Folk and Alijah Vera-Tucker (injured reserve).

Yes, the revolving door will be spinning in the offseason.

7. Will they? The Jets must decide by May whether to exercise Will McDonald IV‘s fifth-year option for 2027, projected at $15 million. Once thought to be a no-brainer, this decision will require some careful thought.

McDonald probably will lead the team in sacks for the second straight year, but four of his seven came in one game. Consistency has been an issue, as most of his pass-rushing metrics are down from last season.

8. Lukewarm endorsement: One of the big moves last offseason was a three-year, $45 million extension for middle linebacker Jamien Sherwood, whom Glenn dubbed the quarterback of the defense. The returns haven’t been stellar. Here’s a brutally candid assessment by Wilks:

“I think, in my opinion, Sherwood is having a decent year. Up and down a little bit in regards to the tackling.”

9. What might have been: Facing Trevor Lawrence in a late-season game with no playoff implications will always conjure memories of the Jets’ franchise-altering 23-20 victory on Dec. 20, 2020, over the Los Angeles Rams.

At 0-13, the Jets were on their way to the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft — Lawrence, the clear-cut top prospect. They went to Los Angeles a 17-point underdog, the second-largest spread in Jets history (second only to the 18-point spread in Super Bowl III).

Punter Braden Mann’s touchdown-saving tackle on a fourth quarter return secured the win, allowing the Jaguars to leapfrog them in the draft order. A few days later, Mann told ESPN he received blowback on social media from angry Jets fans.

Lawrence has experienced his share of struggles over the years, but he has far outperformed the quarterback chosen No. 2 overall by the Jets — Zach Wilson, who’s on his third team.

10. The Last Word: “I think he’s done everything he possibly can so far, not only to put his name out there, but to show that he can be a Pro Bowl guy or an All-Pro in this League.” — special teams coordinator Chris Banjo on returner Isaiah Williams, who has two touchdowns on punt returns.br/]