NFL's Colts Owner, Jim Irsay, Passes Away at Age 65, Leaving $5 Billion Fortune Behind
Jim Irsay's Unexpected Demise: Colts Owner Passes Away at 65
In a shocking turn of events, Jim Irsay, the boss man behind the Indianapolis Colts, has bid adieu at the tender age of 65. The NFL squad made the announcement on a somber Wednesday.
The cause of Irsay's departure from the world remains under wraps for now. Series of health troubles had plagued Irsay in recent times, with a severe respiratory illness taking a toll and surgeries resulting from a fall, confining him to a wheelchair.
Irsay inherited the Colts' reins from his old man Bob in 1997, 13 years after the team made its move from Baltimore to the Hoosier State. Under Irsay's stewardship, the Colts relocated to Lucas Oil Stadium in 2008, riding the surging wave of NFL's soaring valuations.
Valued at a whopping $4.99 billion by Sportico's latest NFL valuations, the Colts are the 27th most valuable team in the league and the 45th richest sports team globally[3].
Irsay leaves behind his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, and Kalen Jackson. All of them are listed as the Colts' vice chairs, taking part in team operations. Irsay-Gordon is reportedly set to take the helm, fulfilling Irsay's wish to keep the family business within the family.
"Jim was a dear pal and a man totally devoted to his kin, the sport, the Colts, and the Indianapolis community," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated. "He spent decades in the NFL, climbing the ranks from a young Colts' ballboy to leading the Colts roughly 30 years later."
This week saw the NFL holding its spring ownership meetings in Minneapolis, with the agenda including proposals like the chance for players to compete in flag football at the 2028 Olympics. It's unclear whether Irsay was part of the multiday mega-convention.
Meanwhile, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp bids goodbye to his NFL post[1]. As the dust settles, the question on everyone's lips is - who's next in line for the Colts' throne?
## Related Story
NFL Exec Brian Rolapp Parts Ways to Lead PGA Tour
[1] - Brian Rolapp Says Goodbye to NFL, Heads to Golf[2] - Irsay's Respiratory Illness: Cause of Death Unknown[3] - NFL Valuations: Colts, $4.99 Billion, Rank 27th[4] - Jim Irsay's Resilient Battle with Addiction
In light of the NFL betting on the introduction of flag football for the 2028 Olympics, attention now shifts to the owners and their teams, as the passing of Jim Irsay leaves a vacancy for the Colts' throne. Given Brian Rolapp's recent departure from the NFL to lead the PGA Tour, potential successors to Irsay's reign in American football, particularly in the NFL, may be eager to make their moves.
