Colts welcome addition of All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner and are hopeful to see him on the field Sunday

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts receiver Alec Pierce walked into the locker room Wednesday, took a peek a couple of lockers away and found an old friend, two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner.

It was a reunion of sorts for the duo who helped lead the Cincinnati Bearcats to the College Football Playoff in the 2021 season and teamed up last summer to win a golf tournament.

Now, after a stunning trade deadline deal, Pierce and Gardner again are teammates chasing the same goal — a championship.

“Just kind of out of nowhere, right?” Pierce said, referring to the surprise blockbuster deal. “I had no idea, but super excited to be teammates again. He's a special player, a super talented player, somebody I had an opportunity to go against a ton (in college), so I've seen a lot. I've seen what he can do, and excited to be teammates.”

It wasn't just Pierce who warmly appreciated the move to get Gardner.

Coach Shane Steichen raved about Gardner's presence in strengthening Indy's most glaring weakness, pass defense, heading into the final eight regular-season games and perhaps the playoffs.

And throughout the locker room, there was a sense that the Colts (7-2) were going all-in on not just ending their four-year playoff drought but also chasing a title.

The bigger question might be when Gardner will actually appear on the field?

He was still in the concussion protocol Wednesday, making him unavailable to speak with reporters, though Gardner did practice. He's also still studying the nuances of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's scheme, a cram session likely to continue even after the Colts fly Thursday to Berlin, Germany.

Still, Steichen remains hopeful Gardner may play Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons (3-5).

“To get a bona fide No. 1 corner in this league, like I said, it elevates everybody around him,” Steichen said. “He's got all the elite traits you look for. He's sticky in pass coverage, has pass breakups, the interceptions. He's feisty, he's aggressive. Just to add that to the fold in the back end with the guys we've already got back there, it just elevates everybody.”

The Colts need him, too, even if this hasn't been his best season. He has only 20 tackles and six passes defensed with no interceptions.

Still, he could provide a boost for a pass defense that ranks 26th in the league at 244.8 yards per game allowed, largely because of missing players.

Indy lost two promising rookies — cornerback Justin Walley and safety Hunter Wohler — with season-ending injuries. Cornerback Jaylon Jones went on injured reserve after the season-opening win over Miami and was activated in time to return last Sunday at Pittsburgh.

Indy tried to plug one hole by bringing in two-time NFL interceptions champ Xavien Howard, who did not play in 2024. He retired after just four games.

Starting cornerback Charvarius Ward, a major free agent acquisition and a 2023 Pro Bowler, landed on injured reserve with a concussion following a bizarre pregame collision with tight end Drew Ogletree. He could be activated following Indy's bye week and in time for its Nov. 23 visit to Kansas City.

So Gardner's presence certainly would be a welcome addition.

“My family was like ‘Oh my gosh, you’re getting Sauce,” slot cornerback Kenny Moore II said, explaining he learned of the trade in a text message just before he taught a class at a local high school. “The school was pretty hyped to hear about Sauce, so it's cool to have that effect and the energy for an individual as well as the collective unit.”

When Ward does return, the Colts secondary could be one of the league's best with three Pro Bowl cornerbacks — Gardner, Ward and Moore — starting alongside two of the NFL's best tackling safeties, Cam Bynum and Nick Cross.

On a team that leads the league in points scored, that ranks among the league's best scoring and run defenses, that five-man combination could lead to a stronger pass rush and even allow Anarumo to dial up more blitzes.

“I think that was a good pickup that we got,” defensive tackle Grover Stewart said. “It will help us get to the quarterback more and will help us out in the back end, too.”

And nobody knows that better than Pierce.

“I think back to college, and we were both just super competitive, like we would do walkthroughs and that would turn quickly into like going about 90% because he's trying to press you and you're trying to get off the press,” Pierce said.

“I know he's up to the challenge. I think for him, it will be nice be on a team with a winning record. I think this is just like when we were back in college, playing important games where we get a chance to do big things.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL