The Indianapolis Colts, along with the entire NFL and the Indianapolis community, has been mourning the death of owner Jim Irsay at 65. Irsay's death was unexpected, with the cause of death still not known, although he had been struggling with addiction, including a suspected drug overdose in 2023.
The Colts community largely reacted with compassion about his death, including in regards to his addiction struggles. Irsay was also honored in Indianapolis this weekend, both at the Indy 500 and during the Indiana Pacers game against the New York Knicks.
And for the Colts franchise itself, Irsay will not be forgotten any time soon. The team released a three-minute video about Irsay's life and legacy that left most viewers emotional.
Additionally, the team released a statement announcing that every player on the team would wear a patch on their jersey through the 2025 season to honor Irsay. The patch is black, with Irsay's initials - "J.I." - along with his signature and the signature smiley face he added to every autograph. It also has seven grommets, which can be seen on the Colts' iconic horseshoe logo.
Every profile picture on the Colts' social media pages is currently set to the image of that patch.
The Colts, originally in Baltimore, were owned by Carroll Rosenblum until it was traded to Robert Irsay in 1972. Jim Irsay began working as the general manager for the team in 1984, until 1996, when he took over day-to-day operations of the team when his father had a stroke. When Robert Irsay died in 1997, Irsay persevered through a two-year legal battle to gain ownership of the team, and once successful, became the youngest owner in the NFL at the age of 37.
Under Irsay's leadership, the Colts made 16 playoff appearances, won two AFC championships, and - most notably - won Super Bowl XLI. He was the person who brought multiple Hall-of-Famers to Indianapolis, including Tony Dungy, Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, and Bill Polian.