Colts Assign No. 1 to Sauce Gardner After Trade as Josh Downs Moves to No. 2

Overview

• Indianapolis acquired cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets on Tuesday, prompting immediate questions about jersey assignments.
• Hours after the trade, the Colts announced Gardner would wear No. 1 and receiver Josh Downs would switch to No. 2.
• Downs called it a "good little friendly transaction" and said he wanted to make the transition easy for a new teammate.
• Gardner has worn No. 1 since his junior year at Cincinnati, a choice tied to an "A1" nickname that preceded an AP All-America season and AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
• Downs noted a personal tie to No. 2 through his younger brother, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, and said teammate Alec Pierce helped facilitate the swap while he declined to reveal any terms.