Former Colts owner Irsay continued battling addiction relapses prior to death in May, report says

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Former Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay continued to suffer setbacks from a longtime addiction to painkillers prior to his death in May, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

The Post cites five people who had direct knowledge of Irsay’s relapses but who requested anonymity because they said they feared retaliation from the team.

Irsay died May 21. The team said he died “peacefully in his sleep.”

The Post story says Irsay overdosed at least three times since February 2020, including twice during a 12-day span, the first in December 2023 at his home in suburban Indianapolis and the second in January 2024 in Miami.

Irsay was notably absent for most of the next four months, an unusually long time for someone who was regularly engaged in the Colts' day-to-day functions. At the time, team officials said Irsay was away because he had a “severe respiratory illness.”

Irsay's three daughters — Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson — are the family's third generation to run the team. The new co-owners declined interview requests from the Post but issued a statement to the Post and The Associated Press.

“We continue to grieve the loss of our dad, a man defined not only by his role as owner of the Colts but also by his resilience, his personal struggles and his deep love for family, friends, and community,” they said. “Throughout his life, our dad was open about his battles with addiction and mental health. He never claimed to be perfect. Instead he used his voice to reduce stigma and advocate for those similar challenges with honesty, vulnerability and compassion.”

The Post story said Irsay also allegedly was prescribed ketamine, which is most commonly used as a general anesthetic, in his final months and that police were called to the hotel room in Beverly Hills, California, where Irsay died.

Irsay began his football career as a ballboy for the Baltimore Colts in the early 1970s after his father, Robert, swapped franchises with the late Carroll Rosenbloom, who got the Los Angeles Rams in the deal.

The younger Irsay went on to become the youngest general manager in NFL history in 1984 at age 24 when the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis.

He took over as team owner following the death of his father in 1997 and played a prominent role on league committees both before and after the Colts won the Super Bowl following the 2006 season.

Jim Irsay is scheduled to join his father in the team's Ring of Honor when the Miami Dolphins visit Indy for the Sept. 7 season opener.

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