In perhaps the story of June, because, well...it's June, The Atheltic's (subscription required) James Boyd (who, it should be noted, is also fantastic as one of the morning hosts on Indy's 107.5) did the hard work in tracking down Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner's age. The corner, you see, is 24, and not 25.
Throughout this offseason, Boyd has been asking the question of how old Gardner is. Not due to a conspiracy theory, mind you, but because, ultimately, it might matter. That's because in the NFL, age matters.
That is especially true of one specific number: 30. As odd as it might seem, once Gardner hits that number (in six years and not five), people will view him differently. He will suddenly be seen as closer to the end of his career than in his prime.
Real age of Indianapolis Colts superstar Sauce Gardner is finally unveiled
The Colts' front office, no matter who is running the department by that point, and assuming Gardner is still on the roster, won't care about the age because they almost certainly know. So did the cornerback's college, Cincinnati, and his family, and the United States government. But the perception from fans matters to a degree.
Sauce Gardner has been one of the best players at his position since he entered the league as a first-round pick in the 2022 draft. He wasn't at his best throughout last season, but he was also bothered by a calf injury. Assuming the corner wants to be discussed as one of the best in the NFL, and every player does, he won't want that to stop a year early because some sites have his age wrong.
This also implies that when fans look at how much the Indianapolis Colts are paying Sauce Gardner, a fan won't have to feel as anxious yet as the number 30 approaches. For instance, Gardner is signed currently through the 2030 season, when he will only be 29 until the beginning of the season, and not 30.
Again, assuming he is with Indy through 2030 (which is not a safe assumption because his cap hit grows to $36.1 million in 2029 and 2030, and the team could save $28 million by releasing him in 2029), the cornerback will be looking for a new deal at least by that time. He will only be 29 leading up to the final year of his deal, and could play another three productive seasons after that.
We can assume that because, as James Boyd kept asking Gardner his age all offseason, the player is still only 24. He won't turn 25 until August 31.
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