Report: Late Colts Owner Hid Struggle with Relapse in Final Years
INDIANAPOLIS — Jim Irsay, who owned the Indianapolis Colts for many years, died in May at 65. A Washington Post investigation says he spent his final years quietly battling addiction, something he and team leaders kept private.
The Washington Post says Irsay was working with a doctor in California who prescribed him strong medications. He started with opioids and later ketamine, in doses that made friends and family worry. Some people told the Post they saw him taking pills, and others said they watched him get ketamine shots.
Over the last five years of his life, Irsay had three overdoses, the Post reports. The first happened in 2020 on vacation in Turks and Caicos, where he was airlifted to a hospital. The last two came quickly: one in December 2023 at his home in Carmel and another just 12 days later at a Florida resort.
Police called the Carmel incident an overdose, but the Colts said he was dealing with a “severe respiratory illness.” He ended up in an Indianapolis hospital for nearly four months.
In April 2024, Irsay denied overdosing, saying his stay was because of major back surgery.
The report says his doctor kept prescribing opioids after he left the hospital and later added ketamine, which worried those around him even more.
On May 21, 2025, Irsay was found dead at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where he often stayed in a hospital-style setup. The Colts said he “passed away peacefully in his sleep.”
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