Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay before the start of their game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA., on Sunday, Sept., 8, 2019. Indianapolis Colts Play The Los Angeles Chargers In Their Nfl Season Opener

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Jim Irsay Cause of Death – How Did the Owner of the Indianapolis Colts Die?

The NFL community has lost a fine human being, owner, and philanthropist!

The world of American football, and the Indianapolis Colts, more specifically, received a jolt from the blue when the Colts franchise announced the shocking death of its owner, Jim Irsay, over their social media platforms. Irsay was the owner of the Colts from 1997 until he passed away yesterday afternoon.

Irsay was the son of Robert Irsay, a businessman who purchased the franchise in 1972 when it was in Baltimore and relocated it to Indianapolis. Following the passing of Robert Irsay in 1997, Jim Irsay, who was the general manager of the team at that time, became the new owner.

Irsay went on to become a popular and beloved figure in Indianapolis, not only because he kept the franchise in the city and gave them a Super Bowl win in 2007, but even more so due to his loving, caring, and giving nature that shaped the kind of human being he was.

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Jim Irsay Cause of Death

The Indianapolis Colts released a public statement over social media informing of the passing away of their owner, Jim Irsay, however, no official cause of death was stated. The official statement from the franchise read as follows:

“We are devastated to announce our beloved Owner & CEO, Jim Irsay, passed away peacefully in his sleep this afternoon. Jim’s dedication and passion for the Indianapolis Colts, in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community, and most importantly, his love for his family, were unsurpassed. Our deepest sympathies go to his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, Kalen Jackson, and his entire family as we grieve with them.”

pic.twitter.com/TZg4kMpdAj
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 21, 2025

Nevertheless, it has been public knowledge that the former owner and CEO of the Colts was suffering from health issues before his passing at 65 years of age.

The most recent and known health problem was a respiratory illness he faced in December of 2023, which required him to undergo hospitalization. He was diagnosed with a serious lung disease and had also undergone bone surgery. Moreover, Irsay was also known to have had a problem with drug addiction in his life, and this was something that he discussed openly.

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What was Jim Irsay’s Net Worth?

According to the latest reports, Forbes recently estimated Jim Irsay’s net worth to be around $4.8 billion. In 1972, when Irsay’s father (Robert) purchased the team, it cost him around $12 million at the time, as per sources.

At the time, Jim Irsay was just twelve years old, but he would often hang around the players in training camps, and his love for the game skyrocketed. After he completed his graduation, Irsay took a job with the team and learned every minute detail of the Colts’ operations.

He then became the youngest general manager in 1984 at just 24 years of age. He later became the youngest owner of an NFL team in 1997 at just 37 years of age following the demise of his father.

Peyton Manning’s IG post on Jim Irsay: pic.twitter.com/a7r6LWLoCO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 22, 2025

The Legacy Jim Irsay Has Left Behind

Despite some of the negatives Irsay had to deal with during his lifetime, including drug addiction, the 65-year-old was a truly compassionate human being who cared about people on all levels. He meant so much to the city of Indianapolis and to its people, especially due to his caring nature, philanthropy, and the general way in which he conducted himself in public.

Being one of the richest people in the country, it was his generosity that stood out, as he spent millions of dollars in donations to local charitable institutions supporting mental health, addiction recovery, and other projects close to his heart.

Irsay looked at his philanthropic work as a privilege that enabled him to make it a part of his daily endeavor. The former Colts owner and CEO never shied away from helping organizations or individuals in getting the help they needed.

Even though the sun has set on one of the finest owners the NFL community has seen, the show must go on. It is now believed that Irsay’s oldest daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, will assume ownership of the franchise, while her sisters, Kalen Jackson and Casey Foyt, will provide necessary support as the ownership remains within the family.

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!