Oct 14, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) reacts to a call during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Sauce Gardner Colts Jersey Number Official

Originally posted on Indianapolis Colts on SI
By Sean Ackerman | Last updated Nov 4, 2025 6:30 PM ET

Just hours before the NFL trade deadline, the Indianapolis Colts made a jaw-dropping move by trading for New York Jets star cornerback Sauce Gardner in exchange for multiple first-round picks.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard isn't known for making a splash on deadline day, but he feels the Colts are in a prime position to improve their secondary while the offense continues its dominance.

Gardner wore the number 1 jersey in New York, but there were some questions about whether he would change numbers since the Colts already have their own number 1 in Josh Downs.

Sauce Gardner's Jersey Number

Former Colts punter Pat McAfee announced that Gardner will take over the number 1 jersey from Downs, who will switch to the number 2 jersey.

Ladies and gentlemen.. There’s a new number 1 in town.

Josh Downs represented in fantastic fashion. He held it DAHNS if you will.. and now he will move to the number 2, just like his brother Caleb at Ohio State and….

@iamSauceGardner WILL BE WEARING THE NUMBER 1 IN INDY pic.twitter.com/5FTLQknF71
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 4, 2025

Downs had been the Colts' number 1 for the last two and a half seasons, but he chose to hand it over to Gardner and switch to the same number that his brother, Caleb Downs, wears for Ohio State University.

"Ladies and gentlemen.. There’s a new number 1 in town," McAfee wrote on X. "Josh Downs represented in fantastic fashion. He held it DAHNS if you will.. and now he will move to the number 2, just like his brother Caleb at Ohio State and…. @iamSauceGardner WILL BE WEARING THE NUMBER 1 IN INDY."

Gardner donned the number 1 jersey at the collegiate level, too, where he played alongside Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce.

Gardner will join the Colts' secondary for the second half of the season and will be the permanent starter in Indianapolis for years to come. The Jets had signed him to a four-year extension in July, and the Colts will take over that contract.

Another element of this trade for Indy

Neither of Charvarius Ward or Sauce Gardner should need to travel with opposing WR 1's now

Once Ward is off the IR you can give each a side and tell opposing offenses to pick their poison
— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) November 4, 2025

Downs is in the third year of his rookie deal, and he'll make yet another number change after wearing the number 11 in college at North Carolina.

The Colts' new star cornerback tandem will both be wearing single-digit jerseys, with Charvarius Ward in number 7.

At safety, the Colts have Cam Bynum wearing number 0, so the new trend for Colts defensive backs seems to be switching to single-digit numbers.

Colts fans will hopefully see their new star in action against the Atlanta Falcons this weekend in Germany. If he's not ready to go by Sunday, then the Colts will have to wait to play him until Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

This article first appeared on Indianapolis Colts on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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