The mystery surrounding Sauce Gardner’s age has finally been unraveled. Leading up to this week, many sources claimed the Indianapolis Colts star was 25, but that information was outright incorrect.
Gardner is actually 24. In a rare moment for the NFL, he had to confirm his age 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 premier cornerbacks in the league, the former first-round draft pick and two-time All-Pro, it’s puzzling how so many got his age wrong for such a long time. Let’s dig into the details.
Understanding the Age Confusion
First off, it’s essential to credit James Boyd of The Athletic for being the first to highlight the discrepancies regarding Gardner’s age.
When checking sites like ESPN, Pro Football Reference, or Wikipedia, Gardner’s birth date was listed as August 31, 2000, indicating he was 25. However, according to NFL.com and the Colts’ official website, his birth date was recorded as August 31, 2001, making him 24.
While it seems logical to go with the ages reported by the NFL and the Colts, the truth is a bit more convoluted. The discrepancy can be traced back to an error in the NFL’s Record and Fact book. The 2025 edition listed Gardner’s birthday as August 31, 2000—a mistake that has persisted since his rookie year in 2022, when the Jets drafted him with the fourth overall pick.
This error provides an explanation for the age mix-up on various websites. If they sourced Gardner’s birthday from that fact book, it would be easy to see why they missed the correct year.
As NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy pointed out, “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 himself has confirmed that both his passport and driver’s license show his birthday as August 31, 2001. Despite what much of the internet has posted, the official documents hold the key to his real age.
“When it comes to the paperwork and everything I’ve signed, it all says ’01,” Gardner noted. “So I don’t know where or how it got messed up unless people just get it straight from Google.”
Having played college football at Cincinnati, the school doesn’t include player birthdays on its profile pages. This lack of information likely led websites to rely on the erroneous Record and Fact book as their source.
The Bottom Line
So, what does this all mean for the Colts? They have a 24-year-old cornerback under contract through the 2029 season, which certainly seems like a better deal than having a 25-year-old.
And if you plan to celebrate Gardner’s birthday on August 31, remember to put 24 candles on the cake, not 25. The age mystery may be settled, but the excitement surrounding Gardner’s future is just beginning.
