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Colts' Sauce Gardner Clarifies Birth Year Amid Data Errors

6/19/2026

47 11 Full Breakdown

Summary

Gardner Corrects Age

Sauce Gardner (Indianapolis Colts cornerback) said on minicamp’s last day he was born Aug. 31, 2001, age 24.
He said ESPN.com, Pro Football Reference and TheAthletic.com list Aug. 31, 2000, which would make him 25.
Gardner noted the same mistake appears in EA Sports’ Madden NFL video game.
He said his passport and league records show 2001, joking that anyone could confirm his age by asking his mother.

Summary

Gardner Signs Extension

Gardner signed a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension with Indianapolis in July 2025.
The Colts obtained him by trading two first-round picks and receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets.
In 2025 he appeared in seven Jets games and four Colts games, recording 36 tackles and nine pass deflections.
A 2001-born All-American from Cincinnati, Gardner, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, will lead the Colts’ secondary.

Summary

Gardner Injury Limits

A calf injury limited Gardner to four games after the trade, postponing his first full season with Indianapolis.
When targeted, he allowed a 54% completion rate and limited opponents to 7.3 yards per catch.
He also recorded three pass breakups during that span.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said Gardner’s presence lets the secondary run more aggressive coverage schemes.

History

Historical Context

In 1994 the NFL introduced a $33.8 million salary cap, forcing franchises such as the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets to restructure contracts and trade assets. The cap’s aim to curb financial excess and eligibility disputes set a precedent that resurfaced when the Jets exchanged two 2025 first-round picks for cornerback Sauce Gardner, whose disputed birth year now fuels new verification debates.

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Gardner Corrects Age

Sauce Gardner (Indianapolis Colts cornerback) said on minicamp’s last day he was born Aug. 31, 2001, age 24.
He said ESPN.com, Pro Football Reference and TheAthletic.com list Aug. 31, 2000, which would make him 25.
Gardner noted the same mistake appears in EA Sports’ Madden NFL video game.
He said his passport and league records show 2001, joking that anyone could confirm his age by asking his mother.

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