Tag: Irsay

Colts owner Jim Irsay is being treated for a severe respiratory illness, the team said Tuesday.

Colts owner Jim Irsay being treated for ‘severe respiratory illness’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is being treated for a severe respiratory illness, the team said in a statement Tuesday.

It was not known if Irsay, 64, was hospitalized or recovering at his home.

“Jim Irsay is currently being treated for a severe respiratory illness. While this unfortunately means he won’t be able to perform with his band this week in Los Angeles, he is receiving excellent care and looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible,” the statement said. “We’ll have no additional information at this time and we ask that you respect the privacy of Jim and his family as he recovers.”

The Irsay Collection event, a free concert set for Thursday at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, is a showcase of Irsay’s personal treasure trove of music artifacts collected over several decades. Irsay performed with his band and displayed rare and high-priced instruments in the collection at three live shows in 2023 — a season kickoff event at Lucas Oil Stadium in September and shows in Boston and Las Vegas.

The Colts, who were 4-12-1 in 2022, finished the 2023 season with a 9-8 record and were eliminated from playoff contention with a Week 18 loss to the Houston Texans.

Irsay was in attendance for that Jan. 6 game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

–Field Level Media

Mar 1, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Colts GM downplays desire to deal for No. 1 pick

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Carousel is not a winning plan at quarterback, that much the Indianapolis Colts have proven since Andrew Luck retired before the 2019 season.

But general manager Chris Ballard denied the Colts’ need to move up from the No. 4 overall pick to find a long-term solution at the position, especially if it means a deal for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft.

“Everybody has already stamped that you have to move up to No. 1 to get the guy. I don’t know I believe that,” said Ballard, whose trades for Carson Wentz (2021) and Matt Ryan (2022) flopped, sparking a coaching change last season and mandate from owner Jim Irsay to get it right this time.

“There’s got to be a guy worthy of it.”

Since Ballard became general manager in 2017, single-season stopgaps at quarterback haven’t held up with the exception of Philip Rivers, who followed Jacoby Brissett (2019).

Ballard has used 53 total draft picks and selected just two quarterbacks — Texas’ Sam Ehlinger was the 218th pick in the 2021 draft and Jacob Eason was selected 122nd overall in the 2020 draft after spending time at Georgia and Washington — and has a tendency to seek value in free agency and stockpile extra selections in the draft.

At coach Shane Steichen’s introductory press conference, Irsay sounded more than enamored with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Young won the Heisman Trophy in 2021, but at 6-foot, 194 pounds, his height and weight are question marks.

“Do we stay put? Do we trade up? There’s really many things we can do,” Irsay said. “The Alabama guy doesn’t look bad, I’ll tell ya.”

Ballard said winning quarterbacks come in all shapes and sizes. The Bears draft first and appear intent on dealing the pick to a team desperate for a fix at quarterback. The Houston Texans have the second pick and head coach DeMeco Ryans said Thursday the franchise “must add” a quarterback. Arizona has Kyler Murray at quarterback and the Cardinals pick third overall, meaning only one of the teams in the current top three needs a passer.

In addition to Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson are viewed as likely first-round picks.

Ballard asked rhetorically, “Who’s to say that we won’t get a good quarterback at 4?”

He was then questioned about what it would take to entice him to make the offer to the Bears to make the jump to No. 1.

“That we were just convicted. That this is no freaking doubt the guy,” Ballard said.

Ballard hired Steichen, offensive coordinator of the Eagles, as head coach in February. Steichen helped mold Jalen Hurts from second-round pick to MVP candidate in Philadelphia. Ballard said their success is a study in finding the right fit.

“The accuracy is one of the biggest things,” Steichen said. “I think when it’s third-and-8 and you’ve got to have it, you’ve got to be able to stand in the pocket and deliver a strike with a guy barreling down your chest. That says a lot about a guy’s toughness. I look for that on tape. The vetting process of it, the physical process, guys come in different shapes and sizes. We’ve seen Hall of Famers that are 6-foot, we’ve seen Hall of Famers that are 6-5. Again, it’s that “it” factor.”

–Field Level Media

Colts owner Jim Irsay smiles on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, during a press conference at the Colts headquarters in Indianapolis.

Jim Irsay: Days, not hours from Colts naming coach

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Exactly three months after the Indianapolis Colts fired coach Frank Reich, team owner Jim Irsay is still in no hurry to find a permanent replacement.

Irsay posted Tuesday on Twitter, “We said, as an Organization (Colts) … The Coaching search would be a open minded and a thorough process … and the final decision would be strictly based on, what is best for our Franchise’s success and best for our Fans, of Colts Nation. Final decision coming in Days not Hours”

Reich was ousted after the Colts got off to a 3-5-1 start, and Irsay brought in television analyst (and former Indianapolis center) Jeff Saturday as the interim head coach. The Colts got a win in Saturday’s first game, against the Las Vegas Raiders, then dropped the last seven of the season to finish 4-12-1.

According to various media reports, the Colts’ list of coaching candidates includes Saturday, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.

The only other NFL team with a head-coaching vacancy is the Arizona Cardinals. Reich landed the top job with the Carolina Panthers, and the Denver Broncos (Sean Payton) and Houston Texans (DeMeco Ryans) also have hired new head coaches since the regular season ended.

The Colts have reached the playoffs just twice in the past eight seasons, getting ousted in the divisional round after the 2018 season and falling in a wild-card game after the 2020 campaign.

–Field Level Media

Nov 13, 2022; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Jeff Saturday before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Fritz Pollard Alliance probing Colts hire of Jeff Saturday

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NFL interim coach promotions are not subject to the diversity-driven Rooney Rule, but the Fritz Pollard Alliance formally opened an inquiry into the Indianapolis Colts’ decision to replace Frank Reich with former player Jeff Saturday.

“In light of the recent interim head coaching hire in Indianapolis, the FPA has initiated an inquiry with the NFL into whether this hiring process conformed with NFL Hiring Guidelines for naming an interim Head Coach,” a statement from the organization said.

Hiring guidelines for NFL head coaches demand two minority candidates receive formal interviews for the vacancy. That is not the case for interim coaches, whether promoted from the existing coaching staff or the more uncommon path taken by owner Jim Irsay in pulling Saturday from a studio seat at ESPN.

Irsay said at the press conference to introduce Saturday that the only problem was media “make it a problem or perception.”

Saturday’s only coaching experience was at the high school level. One former Saturday teammate, receivers coach Reggie Wayne, was on Reich’s coaching staff but said he wasn’t considered for the interim post.

Wayne said this week he wouldn’t have accepted Reich’s offer to be an assistant coach after three years of pestering had he known how it all would end. Wayne said if the Colts had offered him the job over Saturday, a teammate for a decade in Indy, he would have taken it.

“(Expletive) yeah,” Wayne said.

Irsay said the commitment between the Colts and Saturday would not change plans to follow a full review and interview process for the permanent position in the offseason.

“At the end of the season, there will be a full process of reviewing permanent head coach, which we will have an interview process for and go from there. This is for eight games and hopefully more,” he said.

–Field Level Media

Oct 30, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich on the sideline in the second half against the Washington Commanders at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Frank Reich dealing with ‘hurt’ of Colts’ in-season firing

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Frank Reich plans to answer the phone and keep his options open while dealing with the painful reality of being fired by the Indianapolis Colts.

Fired Monday five seasons into his tenure in Indianapolis, Reich said he shifted to the role of grandfather and plans to embrace the opportunity for family time the rest of the season.

“It hurts. It hurts to have it happen in the middle of the season,” Reich told CBS4 in Indianapolis. “But I understand the business side of things. I have a tremendous amount of respect for (team owner) Mr. (Jim) Irsay and I’ve come to trust his instincts and his knowledge of the game. I just know he’s doing what he thinks is best for the team. I can live with that. I gave my heart and soul to the job, to the guys, to everything I did there. I didn’t take anything for granted.”

Irsay fired Reich and tapped team consultant and ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday to be interim head coach. Saturday played center for the Colts during Peyton Manning’s prime and has coached high school football. He has never been an NFL head coach.

Reich was 3-5-1 this season, and the Colts changed quarterbacks yet again — from offseason acquisition Matt Ryan to Sam Ehlinger — only to lose consecutive games. They managed three points in the Week 9 loss at New England that proved the final straw.

When he was introduced in a joint press conference with general manager Chris Ballard and Irsay, Reich said he had clear goals — winning the AFC South and winning the Super Bowl. That was when franchise quarterback Andrew Luck was also in the picture.

Luck retired, and the Colts have perpetually spun the carousel at the position each season to install a different starter every year since Luck walked away. Despite the constant churn behind center, Reich had a 41-35-1 record, including 1-2 in the postseason.

“You have mixed emotions. You feel like, ‘OK, there were different circumstances and dynamics and challenges that you faced.’ But as a coach and as a player and as a competitor, you say, ‘That doesn’t matter. We’ve still gotta obtain our goals,’” Reich said. “When Mr. Irsay and Chris (Ballard) hired me, I had no misrepresentations. Those were the expectations.”

Reich, 60, said he is keeping his options open.

“Obviously, my desire is to be a head coach. I love the game,” he said. “I love everything about the game, so you keep all of your options open.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 25, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder (L) talks with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (R) on the field during warm ups prior to their game at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Irsay: ‘Merit’ to remove Dan Snyder as Commanders owner

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Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder was not in attendance in lower Manhattan on Tuesday, but he wasn’t exactly out of mind at the NFL’s annual fall meeting.

Days after an ESPN report cited a claim from the owner that he has “dirt” on several NFL owners, Snyder’s status was not on the agenda at the meetings. But an NFL source confirmed to Field Level Media that a “closed session” to end the meeting was expected to include open dialogue about several matters related to the owner of the Washington franchise.

While Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he still supported Snyder, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said he believes there is “merit” for owners to remove Snyder as Commanders owner.

“He can investigate me till the cows come home, it’s not going to back me off,” the notoriously rebellious Irsay said Tuesday.

No NFL owner has been voted out of the league, but there are parameters in place for removal if 24 fellow owners cast votes supporting the action.

Snyder’s wife, Tanya, represented the team in New York and has been in charge of day-to-day operations since investigator Beth Wilkinson began working on reviewing claims of a toxic workplace culture. Wilkinson’s report from 2021 has not been fully released.

In the ESPN report, a former employee of the Washington franchise alleged Snyder compiled “dossiers” on NFL owners using private investigators. His attorneys, John Brownlee and Stuart Nash, partners at Holland & Knight, called the claims “categorically untrue.”

Snyder has been at the center of multiple controversies but is not permitted to represent the Commanders until a face-to-face meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell takes place.

Also absent Tuesday was Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who is not allowed to attend a league meeting until March 2023 under the terms of his suspension for tampering violations involving Tom Brady and Sean Payton. Ross’ access to the team facility was reinstated on Monday.

–Discussions around controversial penalties for roughing the passer were plentiful at the fall meeting.

But the league won’t make any changes to the rules in the wake of rising attention.

NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said the topic brought a “healthy, lively” conversation among owners. Rules application and changes fall under the umbrella of the competition committee, which did not meet Tuesday.

Vincent said the purpose of the enforcement of roughing the passer is to be “safer” and not “softer,” as some fans — and even broadcaster Troy Aikman — have insinuated.

No changes to the rules have been suggested by the committee and, at this time, the chair of the committee said roughing penalties are down appreciably. Rich McKay, president and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons, said only 38 flags for roughing the quarterback have been thrown to date this season as compared to 52 last season and 43 in 2020 through six weeks.

“Everyone knows if your quarterback is not healthy, you don’t have a chance to win,” Vincent said. “We’re not changing the philosophy around that call. … We’re not going to back off of protecting the quarterback.”

Aikman called out officials and suggested “we all take the dresses off” while analyzing a play during “Monday Night Football” that ended with a flag for roughing on Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones. Jones planted Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on what appeared to be a run-of-the-mill sack. Jones’ play came in Week 6, which was also marred by a roughing penalty on Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett on a takedown of Tom Brady.

“Look at roughing the passer as a league, like they did pass interference a couple years ago, where we can review pass interference, I think that’s the next step we have to take in the league for all these roughing the passers,” Jones said after the Week 6 game.

McKay said Tuesday the competition committee does plan to discuss the calls and concern that there is a cloak of protection for quarterbacks that doesn’t exist for other players in the NFL. However, he said he is against making “subjective fouls” reviewable after what he classified as a failed experiment with pass interference.

–Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz., will be played Feb. 12, 2023, and the league advanced plans for the event to return to all “pre-COVID structure,” according to Peter O’Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President of Club Business.

O’Reilly said at the meetings Tuesday that the pre-pandemic staples such as Opening Night media sessions and Goodell’s “State of the NFL” address would return.

–Field Level Media

Aug 24, 2019; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck says goodbye to Colts owner Jim Irsay after announcing his retirement in a press conference after the game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Colts owner Jim Irsay would ‘love’ Andrew Luck at QB

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In a perfect world, Andrew Luck would be the answer to the Colts’ questions at quarterback. But owner Jim Irsay said Wednesday that Indianapolis understands that will not be an option in 2021.

Irsay quipped on Wednesday that he plans to frequently check his fax machine, a reference to the way Michael Jordan announced his return to basketball from a brief baseball-motivated retirement.

“I really think it kind of stands where it stands,” Irsay said. “I think, like I’ve said before, Andrew’s retired.”

Luck, 31, was the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft. He retired during the 2019 preseason and has recently told friends, including just-retired Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo, he’s loving life as a dad.

“He knows how much we’d love to have him be our quarterback, there’s just no question about that,” Irsay said. “But at the same time, we know for it to work out, he has to be the one that says, ‘You know what? I’m ready. I want to really create a little bit of history, in unprecedented aspects.”

Irsay said the Colts will embrace the “opportunity” to get better at quarterback and has already met for hours with coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard about finding Philip Rivers’ replacement this offseason. Rivers retired last week after one season with the Colts, who went 11-5 and reached an AFC wild-card game.

The next starting quarterback for the Colts will be the team’s fourth in as many seasons, barring Luck’s return or the Colts choosing to give Jacoby Brissett another shot as No. 1.

Irsay said he believes the Colts are “close” to being title contenders.

They are being linked to veteran quarterbacks who could be on the trade market this offseason such as Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions.

But Irsay doesn’t think Luck will turn out to be the answer this time. He does sound willing to be wrong.

“I think he’s happy, he’s raising his daughter, he has a wonderful family,” Irsay said. “He’s a great Colt and he knows that he can come back any time he wants, but at the same time, we respect that he’s made that decision.”

Luck, the NFL’s No. 1 overall draft pick by the Colts in 2012 out of Stanford, went 53-33 as a starter over six seasons in Indianapolis. He threw for 23,671 yards with 171 touchdowns and 83 interceptions. His 40 TD passes in 2014 led the NFL. He was named to the Pro Bowl four times, including in his final season of 2018.

–Field Level Media

Oct 22, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay sits on the bench before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Irsay: ‘Door’s closed’ on Luck return to Colts

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Any hope of Andrew Luck coming out of retirement to rejoin the Indianapolis Colts apparently has extinguished, according to team owner Jim Irsay.

Irsay, who speculated in February that Luck could reunite with the Colts, changed his mind and slammed the door on any speculation Tuesday.

“You know, I don’t think so — I really don’t,” Irsay said of the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback coming back. “I think that door’s closed.”

In August 2019, Luck shocked the NFL world when he announced that he was retiring from football.

Luck, 29 at the time, compiled a 53-33 record as the Colts’ starter, compiling 171 touchdowns and 83 interceptions in 86 games, all starts.

He threw for 23,671 regular-season yards and went 4-4 in his playoff career, reaching the AFC Championship Game after the 2014 season.

If Irsay reconsiders and Luck decides to make a comeback, the Colts still would retain his rights for two more seasons based on his existing contract.

The Colts have gone 15-13 since Luck’s departure under quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett, Brian Hoyer and Philip Rivers.

Indianapolis missed the playoffs in 2019 but is on track to earn a playoff berth this season. The Colts hold an 8-4 record with Rivers, who has thrown for 3,263 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 12 games this season.

–Field Level Media