The Indianapolis Colts franchise suffered the largest blow as an organization after the tragic passing of owner and CEO Jim Irsay on Wednesday. Now, the duties appear to be shifting to Irsay's daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon.
However, NFL players, coaches, teams, and outlets gave their sentiments and tributes to Irsay and his family. One outlet stood out, with Kyle Brandt from Good Morning Football airing his respect for the one-of-a-kind NFL owner.
"I've always felt that Jim Irsay was unique among owners. He became the youngest owner at 37 years old, and he had this image of the hippie, flower child, rock star owner. I think Jim Irsay was the closest thing we had to Tony Stark in the NFL."
Irsay became Indianapolis' owner after his father, Robert Irsay. Starting as the CEO in 1997, Irsay only needed a year to draft Hall of Famer and Colts Ring of Honor quarterback Peyton Manning, transforming the franchise for years.
The Colts would win their first Super Bowl in Indy in 2006 and make another appearance in 2009. Just a couple of seasons later, Irsay drafted quarterback Andrew Luck and made the playoffs consistently after (three-straight seasons post-Luck drafting). Irsay owned the team for 28 years.
In short, Irsay knew football, the NFL landscape, and how to succeed in a highly competitive league.
Brandt continued in his tribute to Irsay.
"I also think that many owners who may even be successful in football or may even be beloved in their communities, aren't relatable to fans. Because how could they be? Their lives are so different. But, I think in a way, Jim Irsay was. I think it was because of his flaws, because of him demons. Jim Irsay wasn't just a suit in a suite. He'd been through some stuff, and again, that's relatable. And I think despite all he endured, I think parts of Jim Irsay were really, really cool."
Irsay had a carefree approach to a minefield that can be the NFL, and as a billionaire CEO, never seemed to have a personality that matched that. Irsay was a pioneer and put the players, family, and franchise at the top of his list of priorities.
"Jim Irsay was an original, imperfect, Super Bowl-winning owner, and I will miss him very much in our league."
Irsay was never afraid to speak out on league issues and spearhead problems in the NFL, as well-documented by his calling for former Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder to be removed from his position after performing reckless tactics. This happened while other owners didn't open up about their opinions, Irsay led the charge on a difficult problem.
The Colts are mourning the loss of their general, as Irsay was unique and loved everything about the game of football. He also catapulted the Colts franchise to prominence and made decisions to change the trajectory of the organization.
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