Sauce Gardner issued a five-word farewell to New York Jets fans moments before it was announced that the star cornerback had been dealt ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

“New York it’s been real,” Gardner posted to X on Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by a green heart emoji.

The cornerback was “stunned” by the trade, his brother and agent, Allante, told ESPN, and that the two had no idea it was coming.

Within minutes of his post, reports flooded social media confirming that the former fourth overall draft pick had been traded to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for two first-round picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell. 

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Breece Hall and Jermaine Johnson went from being part of a larger Jets core to being two of the pieces left standing after two blockbuster deals ahead of the trade deadline Tuesday.

That made the post-deadline reality difficult to comprehend for the Gang Green running back, while Johnson expressed optimism about what the Jets still can become eventually.

First-year general manager Darren Mougey traded Gardner to the Colts in exchange for a pair of first-round picks — one in 2026, another in 2027 — along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, while Williams was sent to Dallas in exchange for a second-round pick next year, a first-round selection in 2027 and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.

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The Jets made one of the biggest trades of the day at the NFL trade deadline, shipping cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts only months after he signed a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension. 

However, the Jets are the ones who come away from Tuesday’s trade on the winning side financially. 

The extension the Jets signed Gardner to carried a $13.75 million signing bonus and only a $1.25 million salary this season, with the Colts now picking up the priciest parts of the contract in 2026.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that Gardner will be making $25.5 million in 2026, $24.95 million in 2027 and $20.2 million in 2028.

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The Jets made one more trade right before the deadline buzzer on Tuesday.

New York acquired cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor from the Chargers for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2028 draft.

The 26-year-old Taylor has played the entirety of his four-year NFL career with the Chargers, recording one interception and 84 tackles.

This season, the Wake Forest product has played in nine games (no starts) and has made eight tackles. He’s played just 3 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, significantly lower than the 49 percent he played in 2023.

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As their two biggest rivals loaded up for playoff runs and their neighbor tanked for control of the draft, the Giants sat idly at the NFL trade deadline.

The counterintuitive but enticing possibility of trading draft picks for a receiver who could accelerate Jaxson Dart’s development and complement a healthy Malik Nabers next season never materialized.

The thought of trading Dexter Lawrence or Kayvon Thibodeaux — like the Jets dealing away Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner — for draft picks was unpalatable with jobs to be saved by the play on the field.

And so the team that takes the field Sunday against the Bears will be the same team that is off to a 2-7 start.

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The duds of the regular season became the stars of the trade deadline Tuesday, as the Jets shipped cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts, sent Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys and acquired a haul of draft picks — as well as a pair of players who could contribute in the present.

The Jets have positioned themselves to have two first-round picks next year, two second-round picks next year and three first-round picks in the 2027 draft after the pair of blockbusters.

In return for Gardner, the Jets received Indianapolis’ first-round picks in 2026 and ’27 in addition to wideout Adonai Mitchell, who was selected 13 picks before Gang Green added since-cut receiver Malachi Corley in 2024.

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The Dolphins got calls for Jaylen Waddle and Bradley Chubb but ended up keeping them both.

Just before the 4 p.m. deadline, the Chargers added some help for protecting Justin Herbert by acquiring offensive lineman Trevor Penning from the Saints, according to ESPN.

He's not leaving.

A.J. Brown will remain an Eagle and is not expected to be dealt prior to Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Might we have another trade prior to 4 p.m. ET? Tim Graham is reporting that the Bills have talked to the Commanders about Deebo Samuel and Von Miller.