Sauce Gardner corrects birth year, says he is 24

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner said Thursday that he is 24 years old and was born in 2001, correcting public listings that show him as a year older.

Gardner said the incorrect information appears across several widely used sports databases and even in the EA Sports Madden NFL video game, where his age is shown as 25.

He indicated that the discrepancy does not appear in official paperwork. Gardner said the legal documents and professional contracts he has signed list his birth year as 2001, and he suggested the error likely spread through online data sources.

Where the discrepancy appeared

Gardner’s correction drew attention because many fans, media platforms and statistical sites rely on aggregated biographical data to populate player pages and historical records. Once an incorrect birth year is picked up, it can be replicated across multiple services.

In this case, Gardner said the mistake has been repeated widely enough that he was asked to address it publicly.

Why the correction matters

The age difference does not change Gardner’s NFL eligibility or alter any stated team transaction. However, accurate biographical information matters for season-by-season databases, video-game rosters and public player profiles used by broadcasters and analysts.

Platforms that list player information are expected to update their records to reflect Gardner’s statement and align with the birth year shown on his official documents.

Gardner and the Colts have not announced any related procedural change, but the correction is likely to be reflected in the major databases that track NFL player data.