Colts owner Jim Irsay, 64, is receiving treatment for a severe respiratory illness, the team said Wednesday in a statement to the Indianapolis Star. This comes more than a month after Irsay was found “unresponsive” in what police believe may have been a suspected overdose of medication.
Emergency responders found Irsay unresponsive in his Indiana home around 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 8, documenting that he was unconscious and “cold to the touch” and that his skin had a “bluish tint,” according to Carmel Police records obtained by CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. An officer administered Narcan (specifically naloxone), which is commonly used to reverse opioid overdoses, to which Irsay “responded slightly to.” Paramedics later transported him to a hospital.
According to police that night, “it is unknown what Mr. Irsay had ingested prior to our arrival.” Under injury information, police listed Irsay’s condition as “Impaired/Drugs.”
The Colts released the following statement Wednesday morning (via The Indianapolis Star): “Mr. Irsay continues to recover from his respiratory illness. We will have no further comment on his personal health, and we continue to ask that Jim and his family’s privacy be respected.”
Irsay had been active on social media in early January, but he hasn’t spoken publicly in weeks. That lack of availability led media to wonder about his absence given Irsay is traditionally quick to speak at the conclusion of NFL seasons, often providing extensive comments on his team, which ended the 2023 campaign with a Week 18 loss to the Texans. If Indianapolis had won that game, it would have clinched a playoff berth.
Irsay’s illness prevented him from playing in his band, which was scheduled for a Los Angeles show in mid-January, but he is undergoing “excellent care and looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible,” according to the Colts, which asked that fans and media “respect the privacy of Jim and his family as he recovers.”
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