Longtime Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay dies at 65

Longtime Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay died on Wednesday, the franchise announced.

He was 65.

Specifics of his death are not yet known, though Irsay has dealt with various health issues in recent years. The Colts said that Irsay “passed away peacefully in his sleep” on Wednesday afternoon.

“Jim’s dedication 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 in a statement, in part.

“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 … Simply put, he wanted to make the world a better place and that philosophy never wavered. Jim will be deeply missed by his family, the Colts organization and fans everywhere, but we remain inspired by his caring and unique spirit.”

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Irsay took over the Colts officially in 1997, when he inherited them from his father. He was 37 at the time, though he first started as an executive with the franchise in 1984 when his dad, Robert Irsay, still owned the team. Robert first acquired the franchise in 1972 for about $12 million in a deal that essentially swapped his ownership of the Los Angeles Rams. He relocated the team from Baltimore to Indianapolis the same year that Jim started working there.

The Colts had several great runs under Irsay’s watch, most notably during the 2006 campaign when quarterback Peyton Manning and head coach Tony Dungy led them to a Super Bowl win over the Chicago Bears. That was the team’s first Super Bowl win since 1970. The Colts made it back to the Super Bowl three seasons later before falling to the New Orleans Saints in that contest.

Irsay also oversaw the transition into Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Colts moved in 2008. That stadium has become a staple in sports, holding events like the Super Bowl, the Big Ten football championship game, Final Fours and the NFL scouting combine.

Irsay struggled with drugs and alcohol throughout his life, and he was very open about it. He checked into a rehab center in 2014 after an arrest on driving under the influence and possession charges, which was one of 15 times in his life he had been to rehab. He revealed in 2023 that a past overdose stopped his breathing and almost killed him. He was found unresponsive in his home in December 2023 of a suspected overdose.

Irsay’s public appearances dwindled after that. The Colts revealed in January 2024 that he was battling a “severe respiratory illness” after he wasn’t seen publicly in weeks.

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Amid his struggles, the Irsay family has donated more than $25 million in recent years to organizations dedicated to mental health and addiction work.

Irsay was also an avid collector. He purchased plenty of rare items for his collection, like an Elton John piano to classic guitars to a Muhammad Ali championship belt. His collection of more than 500 items even drew an offer from a bidder in the Middle East for more than $1 billion, he told ESPN last year, though he declined. Irsay also had his own band, the “Jim Irsay Band,” and played frequently.

Irsay’s love for the Colts and sports throughout Indianapolis as a whole never wavered. He even posted about the Indiana Pacers — who opened their Eastern Conference finals series with the New York Knicks on Wednesday night — on social media a few hours before his death.

Irsay is survived by his three daughters, his ex-wife and mother of his children, Meg Coyle, and 10 grandchildren.

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Irsay said he planned to pass the team onto his children after his death, and all three of them were given an ownership title in 2012. They have held active roles in the organization, though Irsay’s specific succession plan is not publicly known.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of Jim Irsay’s passing today,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement, in part. “Jim was a friend, and a man deeply committed to his family, the game, the Colts and the Indianapolis community. He spent his life and career in the National Football League … On behalf of the entire NFL, I extend my heartfelt condolences to Jim’s daughters and their families, and to his many friends throughout the NFL.”

Former Colts speak out after Jim Irsay’s death

Several former Colts players — including Manning, Reggie Wayne and TY Hilton — and others in the team’s orbit spoke out and paid tribute to Irsay after his death on social media.

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