Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has died at the age of 65, the team announced in a statement shared on Wednesday (May 21).
"We are devastated to announce our beloved Owner & CEO, Jim Irsay, passed away peacefully in his sleep this afternoon," the Colts said in an official statement. "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. Our deepest sympathies go to his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, Kalen Jackson and his entire family as we grieve with them."
Irsay's official cause of death has not yet been publicly revealed. The Colts owner had previously suffered a serious health scare in December 2023 when he was found on his bathroom floor with his skin had turned blue by responding Carmel Police Department officers during what was described as a suspected "overdose" in documents obtained by FOX 59, though he publicly denied it being an overdose.
“It wasn’t an overdose,’’ Irsay told FOX 59 last April 22. “I don’t know why when you have your name in the paper in the past, people throw that out there quickly. I don’t pay attention to it all that much, but I don’t think it’s fair.’’
Irsay initially took over the Colts' day-to-day operations after his father, Robert, suffered a stroke in 1995 and won a legal battle with his stepmother, Nancy, to retain ownership of the franchise following his father's death in 1997. Robert Irsay initially purchased the Los Angeles Rams and swapped the then-Baltimore Colts with the late Carroll Rosenbloom, at which point Jim worked as a ballboy during Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas' playing career.
Jim Irsay became the NFL's youngest general manager at the age of 25 following the team's relocation from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984. The Colts have won one Super Bowl and two AFC titles, both of which came during Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning's 13 seasons at quarterback, since Irsay took over as team owner.