The curious case of Sauce Gardner’s age has finally been cleared up. Until recently, information available online suggested that he was 25, but that was incorrect.
The Indianapolis Colts cornerback has just turned 24, and in an unusual turn of events, he needed to set the record straight during the Colts’ final day of mandatory minicamp.
“I’m 24, by the way,” Gardner told reporters. “Yeah, I’m 24.”
As one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL and a two-time All-Pro, it begs the question: how did nearly everyone get his age wrong for so long? Let’s dive into the details.
The Confusion Surrounding Gardner’s Age
To begin, let’s give credit where it’s due. James Boyd of The Athletic was among the first to discover a misalignment in Gardner’s age across various platforms.
On sites like ESPN.com, Pro Football Reference, and Wikipedia, Gardner’s birthday was noted as August 31, 2000, which would mean he is 25. However, NFL.com and the Colts’ official site stated his birthday as August 31, 2001—making him 24.
In such situations, it makes sense to trust the age listed by the league and team. But it isn’t that straightforward. Although the NFL and Colts have his age correctly noted online, it was marked incorrectly in the 2025 version of the NFL’s Record and Fact book. Misleading data in this reference book dates back to his rookie year in 2022, when he was chosen as the fourth overall pick by the New York Jets.
Here’s a glimpse of his entry in the 2025 book.
NFL
And here’s how it appeared in the rookie year’s publication.
NFL
If anything, sites pulling his birthday data from the Record and Fact book would fully explain why the discrepancy occurred.
As NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy explained, “Clubs notify us of any incorrect birthdates that would have appeared on their college sites when a player signs. Players also self-verify their birthdates and other personal information through a player portal.”
Gardner has confirmed that his passport and driver’s license both state his birthday as August 31, 2001. While most online sources have it wrong, official government documents are consistent.
“When it comes to the paperwork and everything I’ve signed, it all says ’01,” Gardner noted. “So I don’t know how it got messed up unless people just get it straight from Google.”
He attended the University of Cincinnati, where not all athletic profiles list a player’s date of birth, making it likely that the 2022 Record and Fact book became the source for the confusion.
The key takeaway is that the Colts now have a 24-year-old cornerback signed through the 2029 season, which is a stronger position for them than having a 25-year-old on the roster.
So if you’re organizing a birthday party for Gardner on August 31, remember to put 24 candles on the cake, not 25.
