For four NFL seasons, nearly every major football database had Sauce Gardner‘s age wrong, and nobody noticed until The Athletic’s James Boyd started asking questions this offseason.
The Indianapolis Colts cornerback addressed the discrepancy on the final day of mandatory minicamp, settling a question that had quietly followed him throughout his career.
“I’m 24!” Gardner said, laughing as he shook his head. “It’s crazy that I’m even being asked this.”
How widely circulated databases got Gardner’s birth year wrong for years
ESPN, Pro Football Reference, Wikipedia, and even EA Sports’ Madden NFL had Gardner’s birthdate listed as August 31, 2000, which would make him 25. His actual birthdate, confirmed by his passport and verified by the Indianapolis Colts, is August 31, 2001, making him 24.
East Rutherford, NJ — October 14, 2024 — Sauce Gardner of the Jets during pre game warm ups. The Buffalo Bills came to MetLife Stadium to play the NY Jets. The Jets played their first game under new interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.
Gardner seemed genuinely surprised that even the video game had it wrong.
“It’s wrong in Madden, too? That’s crazy because I never checked. Because when it comes to the paperwork and everything I’ve signed, it all says ’01. So I don’t know where or how it got messed up unless people just get it straight from Google,” he said.
#Colts CB Sauce Gardner allowed me to pester him about his age before he went on summer break.
Glad he has a sense of humor regarding my silly side quest story.
“It’s crazy that I’m even being asked this.” 😂 https://t.co/zI4rUpNfRP
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 20, 2026
The NFL league office confirmed it already had the correct birthdate on file. Chief spokesman Brian McCarthy explained the verification process to Boyd:
“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.”
Beyond the trivia, the correction carries real weight for how Indianapolis is evaluated long term. Gardner is signed through the 2030 season. Being a year younger means he’ll only turn 29, not 30, heading into the final year of that deal, a meaningful distinction in how teams assess decline risk for cornerbacks.
The two-time All-Pro acquired from the Jets at last November’s trade deadline will turn 25 just under two weeks before the Colts open the 2026 season against the Baltimore Ravens. For four years, the internet had him a year further along than he actually was.