Nothing is consistent in the world of sports, including the health of players, managers, and even team owners. Historic NFL team owner Jim Irsay made headlines in January 2024 because of a statement made by his team, the Indianapolis Colts, about his heatlh. Upon the statement’s release, more information about what happened to Jim Irsay started coming to light.
Jim took over ownership of the Colts when his father, Robert Irsay, passed away in 1997. Jim won a legal battle with his stepmother to own the full rights of the team and in doing so, he became the youngest NFL team owner at that time at 37 years old. But what happened to Jim Irsay and is he married?
On Jan. 17, 2024, reports came out about what really happened to Jim Irsay. Before then, the Colts had released various health updates regarding Jim but without all the details. “Mr. Irsay continues to recover from his respiratory illness,” the official statement said. “We will have no further comment on his personal health, and we continue to ask that Jim and his family’s privacy be respected.”
While it hasn’t been confirmed by medical professionals which respiratory illness Jim Irsay is recovering from, we do know that he was found unresponsive and gasping for breath back in December 2023. “At this time, it is unknown what Mr. Irsay had ingested prior to our arrival,” an officer wrote in a FOX59. It was suspected that Jim was suffering from an overdose.
According to Carmel Police Department records, police received a call around 4:30 a.m. and ran to his home. His gasping for air, weak pulse, constricted pupils, and blue skin tone hinted at a possible overdose. When paramedics gave him Narcan, a drug overdose savior, he improved enough to get to the hospital alive.
This isn’t Jim’s first run-in with controlled substances, nor is it his first near-death experience because of them. In Nov. 2023, he to HBO’s Real Sports that he had battled addiction nearly his entire life and had been to rehab “at list 15 times.” In fact, in March 2014, he was arrested for driving under the influence in Carmel, Indiana.
