Colts’ Owner Jim Irsay Overdosed 3 Times Before Death, According To New Report

Former owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay, suffered a series of drug relapses before his death last May, a new report from The Washington Post said.

Irsay, the longtime owner of the Colts, died at the age of 65 on May 21 in Los Angeles.

The report gathered information from five sources that knew about Irsay’s alleged relapses. All five sources said they saw Irsay allegedly take opioid pills, while four said they saw the owner allegedly take injections of ketamine.

According to the report, Irsay overdosed three times in the five years leading to his death. The first time happened in February 2020 in Turks and Caicos, where the report says he was taken in an air ambulance off the island.

The second time came in December 2023, the report says. Irsay suffered another overdose less than two weeks later, the report added.

Irsay’s daughters and Colts co-owners Casey Foyt, Kalen Jackson and Carlie Irsay-Gordon, declined an interview request from The Post, but wrote a statement regarding their father’s health.

“Our Dad was open about his battles with addiction and mental health,” they wrote. “He never claimed to be perfect. The media is not the place to address inquiries about information, which is disputed, lacks essential context, or involves private medical matters.”

Irsay became the youngest team owner in the NFL in 1997, taking over the Colts from his father, Robert Irsay, who passed away that same year. Before then, he was the vice president and general manager of the team since 1984, where he remained until becoming owner.

Under Irsay, the Colts won Super XLI in 2007 by defeating the Chicago Bears.