Indianapolis Colts Owner Jim Irsay Found Unresponsive by Police in December

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was found unresponsive and cold during a suspected overdose in December, according to a report by TMZ Sports. Police were called to Irsay’s home in Carmel, Indiana, at 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 8 after an individual informed police they had found Irsay unconscious on his bathroom floor and he had turned blue. When the police arrived, Irsay was in his bed but had issues breathing and a weak pulse. Officers unsuccessfully attempted to wake Irsay with a sternum rub, but “he responded slightly” after one dose of Narcan.

Irsay was then transported to a nearby hospital via ambulance, and police were provided the medications he was taking. The report states that the incident was an “overdose” and “overdose/poisoning.” The incident happened one month before the Colts announced on Jan. 9 that Irsay was being treated for a “severe respiratory illness.”

“While this, unfortunately, means he won’t be able to perform with his band this week in Los Angeles, he is receiving excellent care and looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible,” the Colts said in a statement, per the New York Post. “We’ll have no additional information at this time and we ask that you respect the privacy of Jim and his family as he recovers.”  

When the Colts shared the news, Stephen Holder of ESPN reported that Irsay had not been seen publicly for several weeks. In November, Irsay told Andrea Kremer of HBO’s Real Sports that he has battled addiction “at least 15 times” and then told the story of a near-death experience. 

“Oh yeah,” Irsay said, per Yahoo Sports. “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.’”  

Irsay, 64, has been the Colts owner since 1997 after his father, Robert Irsay, died. During his time as owner, the Colts appeared in two Super Bowls and won one Super Bowl championship. Before he was named owner, Jim Irsay was the Colts vice president/general manager from 1984 to 1996.