Jim Irsay, the owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts, died on Wednesday, the organization said in a statement. He was 65.
“Jim’s dedication to and passion for the Indianapolis Colts in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community, and most importantly, his love for his family were unsurpassed,” the team said.
A cause of death was not immediately given, but the team said Irsay died “peacefully in his sleep” on Wednesday afternoon.
Irsay, the son of former Baltimore Colts owner Robert Irsay, spent many of his formative years around the team, including serving as a ball boy during games.
“Some of Jim’s fondest memories came from his youth working training camps in Baltimore and growing relationships with players, coaches, and staff whom he considered his extended family,” the Colts said. “He worked in every department before he was named the youngest general manager in team history in 1984 when the Colts arrived in Indianapolis.”
That move from Baltimore to Indianapolis was controversial and took place in the middle of the night. It was carried out suddenly by Robert Irsay in March 1984 to avoid having the team be scrutinized by the city of Baltimore and would remain a point of contention and an open wound for former fans in Maryland.
“Jim’s love and appreciation for the NFL in addition to its history, tradition, and principles influenced him to become a steward of the game throughout his 50-plus years in the League,” the team said.
Jim Irsay took over sole ownership of the team after his father’s death 28 years ago in 1997. Under his leadership, the team drafted Peyton Manning No. 1 overall in 1998 out of Tennessee. Widely regarded as one of the top five quarterbacks to ever play the game, he helped deliver the Indianapolis Colts their first and thus far only Super Bowl title in 2006 against the Chicago Bears.
“I am heartbroken to hear about Jim Irsay’s passing,” Manning wrote on social media Wednesday. “He was an incredibly generous and passionate owner, and I will always be indebted to him for giving me my start in the NFL. His love for the Colts and the city of Indy was unmatched. His impact on the players who played for him will not be forgotten.”
Embed from Getty ImagesIrsay was arrested in 2014 on suspicion of driving under the influence, with police saying he had several bottles of prescription medication on him at the time. Prosecutors alleged at the time he had tested positive for multiple opioids. He would eventually face the music and plead guilty to a misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He was subsequently suspended by the NFL for six games and fined $500,000.
Irsay had recently been confined to a wheelchair following two separate surgeries. One was to repair an issue that affected his left leg, quadriceps and back that stemmed from a fall that occurred in his bathroom that impacted his nerves, leading to lingering numbness, CBS affiliate WTTV reported. He then had surgery in mid-May to take care of a serious hematoma, according to WTTV.
Irsay did not take questions or speak to the media during late April’s NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin as he usually did.
His journey was a unique and special one. As a teenager, he threw the football around with MVP quarterbacks Johnny Unitas and Bert Jones. He relied frequently on the lessons he learned from being in the company of some of the game’s most important owners; Al Davis, Lamar Hunt, Wellington Mara and Art Rooney, as they worked through the 1982 players’ strike and the start of a salary cap.
Also, he oversaw the greatest quarter-century of Colts football thanks to Manning, quarterback Andrew Luck, Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian and Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy.
Irsay did a little bit of everything, from overseeing ticket sales to public relations as he rose through the ranks of the organization, even watching No. 1 overall pick John Elway force a trade to Denver in 1983.
When he took over as owner following his father’s death in 1997, things were different. The arrival of Manning helped Irsay, and the Colts created a passionate fan base that had not previously existed but still remains strong today.
It was not always easy, either. When a 55% inheritance tax threatened his ownership of the team, the younger Irsay found enough cash to keep the family business in tack. And when his most prominent players were about to go for the bag during free agency, Irsay often plunged and gave up top dollar to keep them.
When the Colts won the Super Bowl, he even sent a ring to two-time rushing champ and Hall of Famer Edgerrin James, who had left in free agency ahead of the championship season.
“The guy grew up with this team,” then-coach Chuck Pagano said in January 2015. “He’s got so much insight and so much knowledge. He’s a football man through and through. It runs through his veins, and he’s got so much wisdom to share with all of us. He makes a huge impact.”
But Irsay also dealt with his personal struggles.
He was a recovering alcoholic, and his professional successes could not put him in a cocoon and prevent him from having a constant battle with painkillers. In a November 2023 interview with HBO Sports, he acknowledged he had been to rehab at least 15 times and once accidentally overdosed.
Irsay is survived by his daughters Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson; his ex-wife and his daughters’ mother, Meg Coyle; and 10 grandchildren.
