The Sauce Gardner reason that Josh Downs changed his jersey number from 1 to 2

Contributing Writer
The Sauce Gardner reason that Josh Downs changed his jersey number from 1 to 2 image

The Indianapolis Colts traded for Sauce Gardner in a huge NFL blockbuster deal on Tuesday.

There was just one problem.

Gardner's usual jersey number, 1, was already taken.

Slot receiver Josh Downs has been wearing that single digit for Indy.

But that's no longer the case.

On Sunday in Week 10 in Germany, Gardner will wear 1 in his Colts debut, and Downs will wear 2.

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How Sauce Gardner, Josh Downs changed jersey numbers with 1 and 2

Downs said it was an easy call to give up the digit he had worn since his rookie year.

"A good little friendly transaction, man," Downs said Wednesday, via the Colts official website. "New teammate, wanted to make it easy for him. We appreciate him being here. I know he's been number one and I know that number means a lot to him."

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Why does Sauce Gardner wear jersey number 1?

Sauce began wearing No. 1 his junior year at Cincinnati.

He had been given the nickname A1 as a youth football player, and although he hadn't donned 1 before that, it's what inspired the change.

Why did Josh Downs change to jersey number 2?

Downs actually is happy with his change to 2.

His younger brother, Caleb, wears that number at Ohio State.

"He was excited, we wearing the same number now," Downs said via the Colts website. "(No. 1) was just given to me when I got here. I like that number too, but you can't go wrong -- one, two, three, all them single digits are fine. So I was like 'Hey, I'm cool with it.'"

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Contributing Writer