Sauce Gardner to Make Colts Debut vs. Falcons After Clearing Concussion Protocol

Sauce Gardner will make his Indianapolis Colts debut in Berlin this Sunday after clearing concussion protocol.

The Colts traded a package including a pair of first-round picks to acquire Gardner from the New York Jets ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

Gardner has not played since Oct. 19, when he left the Jets' Week 7 loss to the Carolina Panthers to be evaluated for a concussion.

Gardner was listed as a full participant in the Colts' Wednesday practice, marking his first return to practice in more than two weeks.

Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star shared video of Gardner practicing with his new team.

Gardner did not practice ahead of Week 8 and remained sidelined for his former team's win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jets head coach Aaron Glen indicated a potential Week 10 return for Gardner was on the table when he said Monday the cornerback was "finishing up" concussion protocol. Gardner was traded to the Colts the following day.

The final step of NFL concussion protocol involves receiving confirmation from an outside neurological consultant regarding the player's health status.

Gardner has led the league with 49 forced incompletions, while holding opponents to an NFL-low 50.3 pass completion rate, since his pro debut in 2022 (h/t Pro Football Focus).

The Colts' secondary has struggled during Charvarius Ward's absences so far this season. Indianapolis heads into Week 10 having allowed more than 244 passing yards against per game, good for seventh-most in the NFL.

Drake London and Kyle Pitts are both coming off big games for the Falcons. Getting Gardner back in time for this weekend's matchup would make it tougher for Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to find a groove in a key international showdown.