Report: Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay relapsed before death, received ketamine injections

This past offseason, the NFL lost one of its largest personalities when Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay passed away. Now, troubling reports have emerged about Irsay prior to his death.

According to a report by Sam Fortier in The Washington Post, Irsay, who had struggled with addiction in his life, relapsed before his death. That included getting injections of ketamine from what has been described as a luxury doctor.

The report includes several notable and concerning reports. That includes that Irsay actually overdosed three different times between 2020 and May of 2025, when he died. Along the way, there were legitimate and serious concerns raised regarding his care. At the time of his death, Irsay was 65 years old.

The doctor in question is reportedly named Harry Haroutunian. He has been described as an addiction specialist and is based in California. However, and particularly given Irsay’s addiction history, there were concerns about some of the prescriptions and injections he was giving Irsay. That includes opioids and eventually ketamine.

The doctor that Irsay was going to was allegedly giving ketamine injections to the Colts owner between 10 and 14 times every day. For comparison, actor Matthew Perry was going through similar issues prior to his death. Perry was receiving between six and eight injections daily, per the report. That is particularly dangerous for any patient with a heart issue, which was the case for Irsay, who suffered from atrial fibrillation.

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, which doctors typically use to induce general anesthesia. It has also been used for treating pain, depression, anxiety, and seizures, though the FDA only approves it for general anesthesia. It comes with many risks, most notably to those around the heart. Like many drugs that can be legally prescribed, there are opportunities to become addicted and it is abused recreationally.

Irsay was infamously arrested in 2014 for DUI and drug possession. That included allegedly testing positive for oxycodone and hydrocodone in his system. He would enter rehab at that point. It was also reported by TMZ in 2024 that in December 2023, he needed to receive Narcan.

In 1984, Irsay joined the Indianapolis Colts as the team’s vice president and general manager. Then, in 1997, he would become the team’s owner, chairman, and CEO. He held onto those roles until his death last spring, winning a Super Bowl in that role. Following his death, the Indianapolis Colts inducted him into the franchise’s Ring of Honor.