Tag: Colts

Report: FBI probing doctor involved with late Colts owner Jim Irsay

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Federal investigators have launched an investigation into the treatment and death of former Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, according to the Washington Post on Thursday.

Irsay passed away at 65 years old last May.

The FBI issued a federal grand jury subpoena earlier this month seeking records related to Irsay’s death, his alleged use of ketamine and prescription drugs and his relationship with Dr. Harry Haroutunian, a California-based addiction specialist who treated him before his death, according to The Washington Post.

No official autopsy was performed on Irsay; however, Haroutunian had signed Irsay’s death certificate, claiming the owner passed away due to cardiac arrest caused by acute pneumonia.

“I do understand that there have been some subpoenas issued, but not to me, the Colts or any of our current employees,” Colts chief legal officer Dan Emerson told the Washington Post on Thursday.

The Washington Post also published a detailed report in August 2025 claiming that Irsay had not only relapsed through his addiction, but overdosed multiple times over the last five years of his life.

Haroutunian has had connections to other high-profile celebrity’s recovery journeys in the past, including Steven Tyler, the lead singer of band Aerosmith. Tyler credited Haroutunian for helping him recapture his life of sobriety, and even wrote the foreword for Haroutunian’s book “Being Sober,” which was published in August 2013.

Irsay acquired full ownership rights of the Colts in 1997 shortly after the passing of his father, Robert Irsay. He became the youngest owner of an NFL franchise at just 37 years old. His teams went on to win 258 games, 10 division titles and one Super Bowl victory (XLI) in two appearances.

The franchise is now operated by his three daughters Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson since last June.

–Field Level Media

Colts GM all in on bringing back QB Daniel Jones

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Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard believes the Colts have what they need at quarterback, beginning with Daniel Jones.

The quarterback room went through multiple transitions as former starter Anthony Richardson yielded the spot in preseason to free-agent signee Jones, who like Richardson later sustained a season-ending injury. Indianapolis resorted to bringing Philip Rivers, 44, out of retirement before the team played its way out of playoff contention and started rookie Riley Leonard in the season finale.

Jones, 28, is recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon in December, and he becomes an unrestricted free agent in March.

“I’m looking at (Jones) both near and long (term),” Ballard said Thursday at his season-ending news conference.

“When you’re chasing the quarterback all the time, it makes it very hard,” Ballard said. “Your margin for error really shrinks down. And I feel very good about Daniel Jones and where he’s at, where he’s going. Yes, he’s got the Achilles. But I think Daniel Jones has got a really bright future here in Indianapolis.”

Ballard acknowledged the injury will impact contract negotiations but doesn’t see it as a deal breaker.

“I’m not a doctor, and I’m not God in terms of knowing what the future’s gonna hold in his healing,” Ballard said. “… The history of guys coming back has been pretty good and they’ve been older than Daniel.

“Daniel is 28 years old, and he’s a pretty freaky talent in terms of athletic ability. So no, I do feel confident that he’ll make it back. Will he be the version you saw right away? Maybe not, but he’s still going to be really good.”

Jones was really good in his first season with the Colts after inconsistent play and multiple injuries (neck, ACL) with the New York Giants (2019-24).

Jones passed for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions, leading Indianapolis to an 8-2 start. He played through a fractured left fibula and went 8-5 as the starter before his season ended with the Achilles injury on Dec. 7 in a loss in Jacksonville.

The Colts finished the season with a seven-game losing skid.

“It wasn’t all negative. The 8-2 (record) is real. That was not a mirage. It wasn’t,” Ballard said. “We were humming, and we were playing good football.”

The Giants selected Jones with the sixth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Duke.

For his career, Jones has completed 64.7% of his passes for 17,683 yards, 89 touchdowns and 55 interceptions in 83 regular-season games (82 starts) for the Giants and Colts. He has a 32-49-1 record as a starter. Jones also has rushed 444 times for 2,343 yards and 20 TDs.

“I think (a return is) mutual on both sides,” Ballard said. “I think Daniel was a really good fit for this organization, and I think this organization and city were a really good fit for Daniel.”

Richardson had been labeled the franchise quarterback when Indianapolis drafted him fourth overall in 2023 out of Florida.

Richardson is 8-7 as a starter in parts of three seasons, completing 50.6% of his passes for 2,400 yards, 11 TDs and 13 picks in 17 games (15 starts). He also has rushed for 634 yards and 10 TDs on 115 carries.

After losing the starting job to Jones, Richardson went on injured reserve following an accident during pregame warmups in Week 6 that left him with an orbital bone injury.

“I was really happy with Anthony,” Ballard said. “I think you knew that even after we named Daniel Jones the starter. Unfortunately for Anthony, he’s had some really bad luck. … Anthony was making really good strides.”

The Colts picked Leonard in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of Notre Dame.

Leonard, 23, appeared in five games — starting the regular-season finale, a 38-30 loss at Houston — and completed 39 of 67 passes for 415 yards, two TDs and three picks.

–Field Level Media

Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 6 FG’s lead Texas to win over Colts, AFC’s No. 5 seed

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a career-best six field goals, including the go-ahead 43-yarder with 12 seconds remaining, as the host Houston Texans defeated the Indianapolis Colts 38-30 on Sunday afternoon.

The victory was the ninth in a row for Houston (12-5), which will be the No. 5 seed in the AFC and will visit either the Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round next weekend.

The loss was the seventh straight for the Colts (8-9). Blake Grupe kicked a 22-yard field goal with 2:39 remaining to give Indianapolis a 30-29 lead.

Houston was in the running for the AFC South crown but the Jacksonville Jaguars pounded the Tennessee Titans 41-7 to win the title.

With the Jaguars well ahead in their game, the Texans rested several starters in the second half, including C.J. Stroud, who completed 14 of 23 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown in the first half. Davis Mills was 3-of-9 passing for 36 yards in the second half.

Jayden Higgins caught a touchdown pass for Houston. Tommy Togiai scored on a 17-yard fumble to end the game when Indianapolis’ lateral-fest backfired. It was Togiai’s first career touchdown.

Riley Leonard completed 21 of 34 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Colts in his first NFL start.

Alec Pierce caught four passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns before being ejected late in the third quarter for making contact with an official.

Leonard scored on a 1-yard run on the Colts’ drive to open the third quarter as his team took a 24-23 lead. Fairbairn kicked a 43-yard field goal to put Houston ahead with 6:53 left before Grupe booted a 39-yard field goal as Indianapolis held a 27-26 edge with 1:42 left.

An interception by Alijah Huzzie gave Houston great field position at the Colts’ 33-yard line but the Texans settled for Fairbairn’s 44-yard field goal and a two-point lead with 11:15 left in the game.

Stroud accounted for two touchdowns in the first half as the Texans led 23-17 at the break.

On his first pass attempt of the day, Leonard fired a 66-yard touchdown pass to Pierce between Fairbairn field goals of 51 and 48 yards. Grupe kicked a 50-yard field goal to give the Colts a 10-6 lead with 34 seconds left in the first quarter.

Stroud threw an 11-yard scoring pass to Higgins to give the Texans the lead with 9:34 left in the first half.

Houston’s Danielle Hunter sacked Leonard and forced a fumble that Henry To’oTo’o recovered at the Indianapolis 2-yard line. Stroud scored on the next play to make it 20-10 with 8:32 remaining.

Leonard hit Pierce on an 8-yard scoring pass with 1:25 left before Fairbairn booted a 29-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

–Field Level Media

Texans WR Nico Collins to sit out vs. Colts

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Houston Texans star wide receiver Nico Collins is a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game against the visiting Indianapolis Colts.

The Texans (11-5) apparently are resting up ahead of the playoffs, even though they are not slotted into a specific seed. Houston can capture the AFC South title with a win over Indianapolis (8-8) and a loss by the Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) to the visiting Tennessee Titans (3-13).

Collins has been on the injury report throughout the week due to rest. He did not have an injury designation for the game, however.

Collins, 26, has 71 receptions for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games (all starts) this season. The fifth-year pro topped 1,000 yards in each of the previous two seasons and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2024 and 2025.

His best season came in 2023, when he caught 80 passes for 1,297 yards with eight touchdowns.

In addition to Collins, the Texans also listed the following players as inactive for Sunday’s game: running back Nick Chubb, cornerback Kamari Lassiter, wide receiver Braxton Berrios, linebacker Jamal Hill, tackle Trent Brown and quarterback Graham Mertz.

As for the Colts, quarterback Philip Rivers, cornerback Sauce Gardner, defensive tackle Eric Johnson II, tight end Will Mallory, and defensive backs Reuben Lowery III and George Odum are listed as inactive.

–Field Level Media

Philip Rivers says he’s done with NFL, heading ‘back to the sideline’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Philip Rivers confirmed that his NFL career will be over once the Indianapolis Colts’ season ends this weekend.

The 44-year-old came out of retirement a month ago after the Colts lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending injury. He made three starts — all losses — and said he is returning to coaching high school football in Alabama.

“I’m back to the sideline,” Rivers said on the “Up & Adams Show” on Wednesday. “This was a fun three-week blur that nobody saw coming, including myself, and that’ll be it.”

He has been the head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Ala., since he initially retired after the 2020 season. His son, Gunner, will be the senior quarterback in the fall at St. Michael.

“My second son will be a ninth grader, so they’ll be on the same team together,” Rivers said. “It’ll be fun to get back. The boys back home at the school have been really excited. … It’ll kickstart our offseason program to say the least. Maybe some things I say to them they’ll take a little more seriously now.”

Rivers was contacted by Colts coach Shane Steichen after the Jones injury about coming out of retirement to give Indianapolis a veteran presence. Rivers and Steichen are longtime colleagues.

“Everything lined up just right. Had someone (else called), there’s no chance,” Rivers said. “It was because it’s a place I’ve been, a team I was familiar with, offense was exactly the same, same coach. I knew our (high school) football season was over. It was all those things that made it the perfect storm.”

Rivers was a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist prior to embarking on the comeback. His candidacy now resets and he will next be eligible for induction in 2031 due to the five-year waiting period after retirement.

He spent 16 seasons with the Chargers (13 in San Diego, three in Los Angeles) and one season (2020) with the Colts before his initial retirement.

Rivers ranks sixth all-time in passing TDs (425) and eighth in passing yards (63,984), in NFL history.

In his three games with the Colts, he was 58-of-92 (63%) passing for 544 yards with four touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Rookie Riley Leonard will start Sunday for the Colts (8-8) against the Houston Texans with Indianapolis out of playoff contention.

When the Colts signed Rivers, they hoped he could lead them to the postseason. Indianapolis started the season at 7-1, then fell to 8-5 before Rivers came on board.

His three games came against teams with double-digit wins and heading to the playoffs: the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars.

–Field Level Media

Red-hot Texans focused on Colts with division control out of their hands

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The Houston Texans will take aim at their ninth consecutive victory when they close the regular season against the sinking Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Houston (11-5) is one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) in the AFC South, but can claim the division crown with a home victory over the Colts and a Jacksonville loss to the Tennessee Titans.

The Texans previously clinched at least a wild-card berth but winning the division and getting a home playoff game would rate as a much better situation.

“I think what matters most is that Houston has to win,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday. “That’s our focus and that’s what we’ll be focused on. Whatever else happens, it happens. We can’t control that. We want to see what happens in that game for sure, but we can’t control it.”

The Texans have ridden their top-ranked defense during the solid winning streak in which they have won by 10 or more points on just two occasions.

Houston is coming off a 20-16 home win over the Los Angeles Chargers, another playoff team. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 244 yards and tossed scoring passes of 75 yards to Jayden Higgins and 43 yards to Jaylin Noel in the opening six minutes.

“I think this past game is probably my best game (of the season), process-wise, of getting us in the right checks, the right calls and motion timing, cadence, everything,” Stroud said. “So, I just want to build on that. I think we have some things that we need to clean up that we know. But I think we’re peaking at the right time. We’re starting to click at the right time. So, we’ve got to keep that going. I think this will be another opportunity to do that.”

Indianapolis was flying high with an 8-2 record entering a Week 11 bye.

But Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was playing with a fractured fibula and then tore an Achilles in Week 14 against Jacksonville. Indianapolis continued to plummet, as signing 44-year-old Philip Rivers to a contract couldn’t stop the losing streak from reaching six games and eliminating Indianapolis from the playoffs.

“When you lose five, six in a row, you start looking like, ‘Hey, we have to be better,’” Colts running back Jonathan Taylor said. “Good teams don’t lose five, six games in a row.”

Riley Leonard, a sixth-round selection in last April’s draft, gets his first career start for the Colts with nothing on the line Sunday.

Leonard said he learned a lot from having Rivers be part of the team’s quarterback room in recent weeks.

“The biggest thing Philip taught me was to remember why you play the game,” Leonard told reporters Wednesday. “I mean, he’s 44 years old and I think the sole purpose of why he came back was because he loves football and he has so much fun out there.

“And I think as a rookie, there are a lot of things that I haven’t learned yet emotionally. It’s easy to look at all the things that don’t matter. But what really matters is when you go out there, you give it your best.”

Leonard has seen action in four games this season and has completed 18 of 33 passes for 145 yards and two interceptions with a rushing score.

Rivers said starting Leonard is the right move for the Colts.

“It just made the most sense for all involved to get Riley in there and let him get some work,” Rivers said. “He’s been preparing and working all year. He’s got a shot to go out there and we’re all pulling for him.”

Cornerbacks Sauce Gardner (calf) and Jaylon Jones (illness) were among the Colts to miss practice Wednesday.

Among the Texans to sit out were cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. (oblique) and Kamari Lassiter (ankle/knee) and defensive end Denico Autry (knee).

Houston defeated the host Colts 20-16 in Week 13 while Jones was dealing with the fibula injury.

–Field Level Media

Report: Second act over for Philip Rivers; Colts to start Riley Leonard

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The Indianapolis Colts will start 23-year-old rookie quarterback Riley Leonard over 44-year-old Philip Rivers in Sunday’s season finale at Houston, ESPN reported Tuesday.

Rivers lost all three of his starts for the Colts (8-8) after coming out of retirement in mid-December following injuries to signal-callers Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson.

Rivers completed 63% of his passes for 544 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions in losses to three playoff-bound teams: the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.

The Colts have been eliminated from the playoffs and will turn to Leonard to try to halt a six-game slide that followed a promising 8-2 start. They lost the first meeting with the Texans (11-5) by a 20-16 score in Week 13 in Indianapolis.

Leonard, a sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame, completed 18 of 29 passes for 145 yards and one interception with a rushing touchdown in the Week 14 loss to the Jaguars after Jones went down with a torn Achilles. Richardson has not played since Week 5 due to an eye injury.

Rivers told reporters after Sunday’s 23-17 loss to Jacksonville that he had no regrets about ending his retirement and returning to the NFL for the first time since January 2021.

“I’m gonna be on board to do what’s best for the guys,” Rivers said. “If this is the last one, shoot, I told you guys I wasn’t gonna have any regrets about coming back, and I don’t.

“Other than us not winning, right?”

Rivers was a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist prior to embarking on the comeback. His candidacy now resets and he will next be eligible for induction in 2031 due to the five-year waiting period after retirement.

He spent 16 seasons with the Chargers (13 in San Diego, three in Los Angeles) and one season (2020) with the Colts before his initial retirement.

“If it’s the last one, it’s the last one,” Rivers said Sunday. “I thought the last one was walking off the field in Buffalo (in 2021). We’re walking up that tunnel and I was fine with it. And that one had tears, and those few days after it — and I was at peace with that being the last one.

“So certainly, if it is, I got three bonus games that I never saw coming and couldn’t be more thankful that I got the opportunity.”

–Field Level Media

Philip Rivers ‘on board’ with any Week 18 QB decision Colts make

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Philip Rivers said he has no regrets about coming out of retirement at 44 years old despite losing all three of his starts and knowing that Sunday might have been his final one.

The Colts, who were already eliminated from playoff position, lost their sixth consecutive game with Sunday’s 23-17 setback against Jacksonville to fall to 8-8. Coach Shane Steichen said after the game that he will decide by Tuesday whether to start rookie Riley Leonard in Indianapolis’ season finale at the Houston Texans.

Another potential option is Anthony Richardson, who remains on injured reserve but has participated in limited practice the past two weeks as he recovers from an eye injury.

Despite being unable to salvage the Colts’ season, Rivers said he would make the same decision all over again.

“I’m gonna be on board to do what’s best for the guys,” Rivers said. “If this is the last one, shoot, I told you guys I wasn’t gonna have any regrets about coming back, and I don’t.

“Other than us not winning, right?”

The Colts surprisingly turned to Rivers following a season-ending torn Achilles suffered by Daniel Jones and with Richardson already on IR. Rivers, who has been coaching high school football in Alabama, had not played in the NFL since January 2021.

“If it’s the last one, it’s the last one,” Rivers said. “I thought the last one was walking off the field in Buffalo (in 2021). We’re walking up that tunnel and I was fine with it. And that one had tears, and those few days after it — and I was at peace with that being the last one.

“So certainly, if it is, I got three bonus games that I never saw coming and couldn’t be more thankful that I got the opportunity.”

Rivers has completed 63.0% of his passes for 544 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions while posting an 80.2 passer rating.

“Him coming out one last time and fighting like crazy — it was impressive to see,” Steichen said. “And him being in the locker room with the guys, his fight, his character, his passion for the game — inspirational to a lot of people, not just our players, but people around the world watching football. It was pretty cool.”

Rivers was a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist prior to embarking on the comeback. His candidacy now resets and he will next be eligible for induction in 2031 due to the five-year waiting period after retirement.

Rivers spent 16 seasons with the Chargers (13 in San Diego, three in Los Angeles) and one season (2020) with the Colts before his initial retirement.

–Field Level Media

Jaguars beat plummeting Colts to notch seventh straight W

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Trevor Lawrence rushed for two touchdowns and threw for 263 yards to help the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars come away with a 23-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts Sunday.

An interception by Jarrian Jones midway through the fourth quarter — his second in as many weeks — set up Cam Little for what became a game-winning 42-yard field goal with 6:58 left to help Jacksonville (12-4) win its seventh straight game and move to the brink of clinching the AFC South.

The Jaguars would clinch with a win over Tennessee or a Houston loss to Indianapolis next Sunday.

Lawrence completed 23 of 37 passes and threw his first interception since Nov. 23. Parker Washington finished with 115 yards on eight catches, his second straight 100-yard game.

The Colts (8-8) sustained their sixth straight loss after they were eliminated from playoff contention with Houston’s win Saturday.

Philip Rivers completed 17 of 30 passes for 147 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Jonathan Taylor added 70 yards and a score on 21 carries.

After Indianapolis scored 10 points on its first two possessions, it added just seven more the final nine times it touched the ball.

The Jaguars held a sizable 370-204 yardage advantage, but were unable to separate on the scoreboard thanks to three scoreless trips inside the Indianapolis 25. There were a fumble and an interception in the first half and a failed fourth-down conversion with the game tied at 17 in the fourth quarter.

After settling for an opening-drive field goal from Blake Grupe, the Colts capped off a 15-play, 83-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Taylor to make it 10-0 with 12:49 left in the first half.

The Jaguars found paydirt on their second drive when Lawrence ran it in from 4 yards out to cut the deficit to 10-7.

It appeared Jacksonville was poised to tie the game or take the lead late in the first half before a Lawrence end-zone pass was intercepted by Germaine Pratt to preserve the Colts’ halftime advantage.

The next time the Jaguars reached the red zone, though, they took their first lead on another Lawrence scramble from 6 yards out for a 14-10 advantage with 7:26 left in the third quarter.

That lead didn’t last long, with Indianapolis reclaiming the lead 88 seconds later on a 5-yard touchdown catch by Mo Alie-Cox, his first of the season.

Jacksonville’s ensuing drive was promising but stalled out in the red zone, resulting in a game-tying 34-yard field goal from Little.

Little added a third field goal from 53 yards out with 18 seconds left to extend his streak of consecutive made field goals to 18.

–Field Level Media

Report: Philip Rivers likely to make final start on Sunday

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The comeback story of Philip Rivers likely will reach its final chapter on Sunday.

Rivers, 44, will start for the Indianapolis Colts (8-7) against the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) on Sunday, with NFL Network reporting he is expected to cede the starting spot to rookie Riley Leonard next week in the season finale in Houston against the Texans.

The 20-16 win by the Texans on Saturday over the Los Angeles Chargers eliminated the Colts from playoff contention.

Indianapolis started the season 8-2 behind starting quarterback Daniel Jones. They lost the next three games with Jones, and then on Dec. 14 at Jacksonville, the QB went down with a season-ending Achilles injury in a 36-19 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Colts called the retired Rivers, who has been coaching high school football in Alabama, and asked him to return.

Indianapolis lost his two starts, with Rivers completing 66.1% of his passes for 397 yards.

Per NFL Network, coach Shane Steichen is eager to take a look a Leonard in game that will be competitive but with no playoff positioning on the line. The change was not made for the Week 17 start against the Jaguars to give Leonard a full week to prepare.

–Field Level Media