Jim Irsay dies: Colts owner's drug overdose revelations resurface; fans worried
ByYash Nitish Bajaj
May 22, 2025 05:48 AM IST
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay died on Wednesday, the NFL franchise announced
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay died on Wednesday, the NFL franchise announced. He was 65 years old. While the Colts did not reveal Irsay's cause of death, fans posted about his past claims of drug overdose on social media.
Jim Irsay's past admissions about drug overdose have resurfaced(X)
Jim Irsay's past admissions about drug overdose have resurfaced(X)
“We are devastated to announce our beloved Owner & CEO, Jim Irsay, passed away peacefully in his sleep this 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,” Colts chief operating officer Pete Ward said in a statement released by the team.
Read More: Jim Irsay dies at 65: A look at Indianapolis Colts owner's net worth
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.
Jim Irsay was vocal about his drug addiction
Irsay had opened up about his struggles with addiction during an interview with Andrea Kremer for HBO's 'Real Sports'. He said that a past drug overdose stopped his breathing and almost killed him.
He told Kremer that he had been in rehab "at least 15 times."
"Oh yeah. One time, I was trying to detox myself, and I mixed multiple drugs that I didn't know anything about. So all of a sudden, I start slurring my words. And then code blue, I stop breathing. And they revive me and the doctor goes, 'Jim, you're one lucky man because I had virtually signed the death certificate.'"
In 2014, the Colts' owner checked into a rehab center after an arrest on charges of driving under the influence and four felony counts of possession of a controlled substance. A police report stated that he was in possession of multiple bottles of prescription drugs and more than $29,000 in cash. He failed the sobriety test.
In a 2022 interview with the Associated Press, he said: “My self-will had to be abandoned because my self-will was killing me. The only way I could be helped was to surrender and give way to become teachable and give way to some power greater than me.”
“I know what it’s like to be at hell’s gates. I know what it’s like to feel the bars of hell and be in that darkness."
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