How the Jets trading stars Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner looks a year later

In less time than it takes to play an NFL game, the New York Jets made two blockbuster trades ahead of the 4 p.m. ET deadline on Nov. 4, 2025, that would help alter the trajectory of three franchises.

First, it was cornerback Sauce Gardner being traded to the Indianapolis Colts, first reported at 12:47 p.m. Then, it was defensive tackle Quinnen Williams being sent to the Dallas Cowboys at 2:05 p.m. The impact of the deals has already contributed to significant aftershocks.

Since then, the combined record of the three teams is 14-35.

The Colts' architect, general manager Chris Ballard, was fired Oct. 19.

Two coaches, the Jets' Aaron Glenn and the Colts' Shane Steichen, are fighting for their jobs, having gone 4-13 and 3-13, respectively.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer, too, could be in trouble if his team doesn't challenge in a watered-down NFC East.

A quick refresher:

For the 25-year-old Gardner, a top young cornerback, the Jets received first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell -- widely perceived as a "throw-in" player, but New York insisted that he be included in the package.

For Williams, one of the league's best defensive tackles, the Jets landed a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith, whom they cut in training camp. They have the rights to the better of the Cowboys' two first-round picks in 2027, as Dallas has its own selection and the Green Bay Packers' pick from the Micah Parsons trade. The Jets insisted on that during negotiations.

"I don't know if I would've traded two star defensive players in their prime," said a former NFC GM who is a current personnel analyst. "In hindsight, it worked out pretty well. The next guy will walk into a nice situation" -- meaning he assumes Glenn won't be back in 2027.

The Jets, who accepted short-term pain for long-term gain, still are waiting to reap the full benefits of the trades. That will come in April, when they enter the draft with three first-round picks. With a glaring need at quarterback, they could have the ammo to target a specific player -- one of the main reasons for last year's trades.

Coming into Week 9, ESPN Analytics projects them to have the fifth (their own), sixth (Colts) and 14th (Cowboys) selections. The Colts, who recently traded guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for draft capital, are sinking like a horseshoe in a swimming pool, so that pick could be in the top three or four.

"For the Jets, the Sauce Gardner trade might be one of the best of all time because of the draft compensation, and then you add in Mitchell, who can be a strong receiver," an AFC personnel scout said. "On the other hand, it has to be among the worst trades in Colts history because of the collapse."

The Colts were in go-for-it mode when they acquired Gardner, thinking he was the missing piece. They've fallen on hard times, prompting them to part with two franchise cornerstones and replenish their draft cupboard.

It's a traditional sell-off, considering Nelson, 30, and Buckner, 32, are past-their-prime players in the final year of their contracts. What the Jets did last year was bold because Gardner and Williams were only 24 and 27, respectively, with time on their contracts.

It was unprecedented, too, as the Jets became the first team in the common-draft era (since 1967) to make multiple in-season trades to acquire a first-round pick.

The Cowboys acquired Williams because they wanted a front-seven player to fill the Parsons void and improve their run defense. They're still struggling on defense, but they still have a 43% chance to make the playoffs, per ESPN Analytics.

It's conceivable, even likely, that all three teams will miss the playoffs -- again.

As Tuesday's trade deadline looms, Jets reporter Rich Cimini, Colts reporter Stephen Holder and Cowboys reporter Todd Archer look back at last year's blockbusters and how they affected their respective teams, and draft analyst Jordan Reid puts into context what the Jets could do with the draft capital that they acquired from the historic two hours.

A surprising day for the Colts

Ballard for years showed an aversion to making aggressive moves. Outside of trading a first-round pick in 2020 for Buckner and a desperation trade for quarterback Carson Wentz in 2021, Ballard's tendency was to stock up on Day 2 and 3 draft selections to give him more shots at the team's draft board.

So, it was particularly surprising when the Colts began searching for an impact defensive player before the 2025 trade deadline. But the Bengals were being stubborn with their terms on defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Other options also led nowhere.

But the Jets, after significant sweetening, said yes on Gardner.

It was always going to take a lot for a deal this audacious to pay off. And through no fault of Gardner's, it's difficult to say the Colts have gotten much return. First, Gardner has missed five of a possible 16 games since the trade because of calf injuries, including four games late last season when the Colts were fighting for a playoff spot. But a much bigger issue is the state of the Colts' franchise. The trade was put into place to help what was a 7-2 team make a postseason push.

Now, Ballard is gone, and the Colts are, perhaps, the most calamitous team in the NFL. Their last game? A 42-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. It all makes for an awkward reality for Gardner.

"It's definitely tough," Gardner said. "It's different than when I first got here. I'm a man of faith, so it's just one of those things where it's like, everything happens for a reason. God ain't going to put me in a certain position for no reason. We're going to overcome this thing."

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But the Colts will have to do that without the compensation they forked over to the Jets. The lack of a first-round pick in 2027 is especially painful given the likely roster rebuild that lies ahead. The fallout from the trade isn't the only reason the Colts are in a tough spot. But it certainly has made a bad situation much, much worse.

Gardner recalls being elated after the trade, going from the struggling Jets to a team with -- at the time -- one of the best records in the NFL. Now, he's looking at having to endure a roster reboot, even if he's being a good sport about it all.

"I embrace everything," he said. -- Holder

An impactful move for Cowboys

Williams was not pleased with his play in eight games with the Cowboys last season, despite being named to the Pro Bowl. The Cowboys, however, signed him to a three-year extension worth $105.9 million in August.

Still, the Cowboys have struggled to stop the run and are not efficient in rushing the passer, but Williams' play has improved. His 11 tackles for loss rank second in the NFL and are the most among defensive tackles, and he leads the Cowboys in sacks (five).

Yet, Williams wants more.

"My standard is really high," Williams said. "I'm on the right trajectory, the right direction to play how I know I can play. Just setting the standard, not only for me, but for this defense in general, and the ability that we have as a unit, we can achieve those and we haven't achieved those yet, but we have the ability to achieve those."

His voice is big in the locker room. He is one of the four captains and a member of the team's leadership council. His locker is next to Dak Prescott's, and Williams and the quarterback have had talks about getting the Cowboys to play more consistently.

"Quinnen's been here for almost a year now. He kind of understands how we function, and so he's much more apt to speak his mind," Schottenheimer said. "When he talks, everybody kind of stops and listens." -- Archer

Jets still waiting on the results

Saying he wants to focus on the present, Glenn declined to reflect on the two trades, except to say Gardner and Williams are "great players and quality people."

So far, the two deals have directly yielded three players on the current roster -- Mitchell, tight end Kenyon Sadiq (2026 first round) and nickelback D'Angelo Ponds (2026 second round).

The Gardner trade also opened a starting job for Azareye'h Thomas, a 2025 third-round pick who recalled his initial reaction to the move: "I was shocked. Who wouldn't be shocked? Sauce is a household name." And he got paid, too -- a four-year, $120 million extension only five months before being sent to the Colts.

Thomas has been steady, if not spectacular, as an outside corner. He ranks 14th out of 81 corners in yards allowed/coverage snap as the nearest defender (minimum: 100 coverage snaps), per Next Gen Stats, but he has yet to have an interception in 13 career starts. Ball production isn't Gardner's strong suit, either -- only three picks in 66 career starts. That, coupled with a perceived lack of physicality and high penalty rate, factored in the decision to trade him, a team source said.

Mitchell has played in only 12 games -- he missed four this season because of a surgically repaired finger -- but he has demonstrated playmaking ability as a vertical threat. He's coming off a career game (142 receiving yards), reinforcing the organization's belief that he can be a long-term starter.

Sadiq has been largely invisible since teasing with a 105-yard receiving game in Week 3, though no one disputes his upside. Ponds missed training camp because of a calf injury and hasn't found a niche; only 64 defensive snaps. At 5-foot-8, he doesn't fit every scheme. How will he fit if there's a new coaching staff in 2027?

Armed with an extra second-round pick from the Williams trade, the Jets tried to maximize the flexibility, using their own second-rounder to trade up into the bottom of Round 1 to take wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., who already has two 100-yard receiving games.

If there's a negative to the two trades, it's that they haven't replaced Williams' inside presence on the defensive line. Their current "bigs" have registered only three sacks, with none of the defensive tackles ranking in the top 40 in ESPN's pass rush win rate. It's a glaring weakness that shows up weekly.

Williams, frustrated by years of losing, wanted a change of scenery. The Jets, mindful that he'd be seeking a long-term contract extension, decided it was the right time to move him.

Financially, the Jets are taking nearly $21 million in 2026 cap hits for the two trades, though they mitigated some damage by structuring Gardner's extension with rolling guarantees.

Years from now, the trades will be graded on whether the Jets parlayed their bounty of draft picks into a franchise quarterback. Current starter Geno Smith, 36, is playing well, but is considered a bridge quarterback. As the former GM said, "They can get well soon ... if they find a quarterback." -- Cimini

What could the Jets do with the draft capital?

The Jets could become only the second franchise in the past 25 years to enter the NFL draft with three first-round picks, joining the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019. The Jets have a prime opportunity to add to a young core that already has visible foundational pieces, but the most important element is missing: a franchise QB. Finding their signal-caller to build around for the foreseeable future remains a key problem.

The Jets' current projected selections could land them a QB, but do they use one of those or package multiple picks to move up?

Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State) is the early leader to be the first passer off the board. He has a Disney movie-like background story. He never started a game at QB in high school, playing safety and punter. But after a standout first season as a starter at North Texas and strong play after transferring to Oklahoma State this past offseason, Mestemaker has made a remarkable rise.

Mestemaker is a daring dual-threat passer who's capable of beating defenses with his downfield aggression and playmaking ability outside of the framework of the offense. He has continued his positive development with progressions and playing with a timely mental clock to get rid of the ball, helping him adjust to the speed of the game on the Power 4 level.

CJ Carr (Notre Dame) and Darian Mensah (Miami) are two more possibilities in Round 1. Carr is an extremely accurate distributor who consistently plays on time within the structure of the offense. Mensah is an efficient passer with pinpoint accuracy to all levels of the field.

Interior offensive line is another position the Jets could address, specifically center. Greg Johnson (Minnesota) is the best of this class, having the flexibility and experience with playing all three interior line spots. Johnson has been a model of consistency for the Golden Gophers this season; he has allowed only one pressure and has yet to give up a sack.

Linebacker is a position to watch, too. Chris Cole (Georgia) has become one of the more impressive defensive prospects in the country in his first season as a full-time starter. The No. 5-ranked player on my board is worthy of a first-round pick and would be an explosive playmaker at the second level of the Jets' defense and wreak havoc.

I think defensive tackle should be added to the list of potential Round 1 positions. There hasn't been a defensive prospect in the country who has boosted his stock more this season than Xavier Gilliam (Tennessee). An explosive up-field disruptor, Gilliam has been unblockable. His 22 pressures this season rank fifth among defensive tackles in the FBS.

Will Echoles (Ole Miss) is another DT who fits. The stout and sturdy interior defender has strong hands to remain firm at the point of attack, but he can also penetrate the first level and create negative plays in the backfield. At Nos. 11 and 12 on my board, respectively, either Gilliam or Echoles would be tremendous additions to a defense that needs help generating pressure from the interior.

The picks:

• 5. Darian Mensah, QB, Miami

• 6. Chris Cole, LB, Georgia

• 14. Greg Johnson, IOL, Minnesota

Synopsis: The possibility of trading up is on the table, but staying in this scenario, the Jets find their QB of the future. With Mestemaker most likely off the board, Mensah would give the franchise a building block under center. Cole gives the Jets an instinctive and rangy playmaker. Johnson is an immediate starter with the versatility to play at either guard or center early on. -- Reid