Jim Irsay, who owned the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts for nearly three decades, died in May at age 65.
Irsay spoke openly about his battles with substance abuse, including an incident in December 2023 where he was hospitalized after first responders found him unresponsive at his home from a suspected overdose.
However, that incident was just one of three overdoses Irsay suffered during the final five years of his life, according to an investigation by The Washington Post. Irsay also suffered an overdose in February 2020 in Turks and Caicos, in December 2023 at his home, and again 12 days later in Miami – the latter of which left him hospitalized for nearly four months.
The Colts publicly attributed Irsay’s hospital stays to a range of medical issues, including heart failure, a “severe respiratory illness,” and recovery from back surgery. However, The Post’s investigation found that Colts executives “repeatedly misled the public” about Irsay’s relapses.
Irsay’s substance abuse issues first came to light in 2002, five years after he took over as Colts owner from his father, Robert, who purchased the then-Baltimore Colts in 1972. That revelation came after he checked himself into a rehab facility for being dependent on prescription pain medications, according to the Indy Star. He was also linked to a federal investigation involving possible prescription drug fraud by an Indianapolis plastic surgeon, but was never charged in the case.
“I have successful dealt with my dependence and chronic pain issues,” Irsay said at the time.
In 2005, Irsay described his time 2002 rehab stint as “my greatest moment.”
“When you’re brushing up against a potentially fatal disease and you’re able to heal yourself and move forward, that’s your finest hour, not your darkest or most regrettable,” he told Indy Star columnist Bob Kravitz in 2005. “The main thing is there was a problem; I took care of it. …. Some people aren’t as lucky to pull through this.”
However, despite his public insistence otherwise, Irsay continued to struggle with substance abuse for years after his rehab stint, according to The Post’s investigation.
In 2014, Irsay was suspended by the NFL for six games and fined $500,000 after pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
In the days before his two overdoses in December 2023, Irsay was prescribed more than 200 opioid pills from Harry Haroutunian, an addiction recovery and wellness expert based in California, according to The Post. Haroutunian also treated Irsay with ketamine during his final months.
Four of the five sources interviewed for The Post’s story said they witnessed Irsay receiving ketamine injections, and all five said they witnessed him consuming opioid pills.
Haroutunian signed Irsay’s death certificate, stating the cause was cardiac arrest due to pneumonia and heart issues. No autopsy or toxicology testing was performed on Irsay.
“I dedicated 18 months of my life to try to care for him … as a brother,” Haroutunian told The Post. “We did everything we could to make him as comfortable as possible.”
In 2020, Irsay and the Colts organization founded Kicking the Stigma, an initiative focused on raising awareness around mental health and seeking those struggling to seek treatment. Last month, the Colts organization was named the 2025 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year at the ESPY Awards for its community work through Kicking the Stigma.
Irsay, who oversaw the Colts during the franchise’s most storied era, including winning Super Bowl XLI in 2007, will be inducted into the Colts’ Ring of Honor prior to the team’s season opener on Sept. 7. He will be the 20th member to join the Colts Ring of Honor, joining his father, who was the inaugural inductee in 1996.
Irsay’s daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson, assumed control of the Colts following their father’s death in May. They declined to be interviewed for The Post’s investigation into their father’s relapses, but did provide a statement requesting privacy.
“Our Dad was open about his battles with addiction and mental health. He never claimed to be perfect,” the Colts co-owners wrote. “The media is not the place to address inquiries about information which is disputed, lacks essential context, or involves private medical matters.”
Irsay’s obituary in May said he “passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 21.”
“In recent years, Jim also took the brave and monumental step of publicly sharing his own personal journey in hopes of ending the stigma surrounding mental health and inspiring others to seek help,” Irsay’s obituary reads. “While many hide challenges they have experienced, Jim declared himself ‘an open book’ and sought to empower others by courageously sharing his own story.”
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