New Colts owners send clear message: There will be no gap year; they expect to win

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INDIANAPOLIS — A new chapter of Indianapolis Colts football has begun. The daughters of former team owner Jim Irsay — Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson — met with reporters Tuesday at the team facility at West 56th Street for the first time since their father died May 21. And in one way, they’re already doing things differently from their dad.

Scheduled to speak at 3:30 p.m. ET, the Colts’ trio of female owners walked into the media room and were on the mic by 3:28 p.m. Some traditions, they vowed, wouldn’t leave in the absence of their father. But being tardy? That’s not a trait they plan to emulate.

“In honor of my dad, we considered whether we should be 30 minutes late,” Irsay-Gordon said as the room erupted in laughter. “But we thought, ‘You know what? This is a new era.’”

For the first time since 1997, when Jim Irsay took control of the Colts after the death of his father, Robert, the Colts are going through a change in ownership that’s been decades in the making. Irsay always knew he’d pass the team down to his daughters, and now that they’re at the helm, the shift comes with mixed emotions.

“Probably his biggest dream, other than having a big family and having grandkids and being with us, was to see us do what we’re doing right now,” Jackson said. “And I think the hardest thing about that is that his biggest dream and goal, he always knew he wouldn’t be able to be here to see it. And that makes today extremely bittersweet.”

The sisters spoke for 34 minutes Tuesday as they reflected on the lessons they’ve learned from their father while also addressing the present state of the franchise. Here’s what stood out.

No gap year

The Colts used to be a powerhouse, winning 125 regular-season games from 2000 to 2010, more than all but one other franchise during that span. But the days of Indianapolis’ dominance have expired.

The team hasn’t made the playoffs in four years, hasn’t won a playoff game in six years and hasn’t won the AFC South in 10 years. That is unacceptable, Irsay-Gordon acknowledged, and while she said she and her sisters will “stay out of the way” and let people do their jobs, she also didn’t mince words when assessing the two people with the most important jobs in ushering in a Colts rebirth: GM Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen.

“As my dad said before he passed, Chris and Shane know that they have things they need to fix,” Irsay-Gordon said. “We talked about not micromanaging people, but also, we have a standard here, and it hasn’t been good enough.”

Steichen is 17-17 through his first two years while managing significant injuries, most notably at quarterback. Three different passers have started at least six games during his tenure. Meanwhile, Ballard is entering his ninth campaign with a middling resume that in most cases likely would’ve led an owner other than Jim Irsay to fire him. Indianapolis is 62-69-1 with just two playoff berths, one postseason win and zero division titles through Ballard’s first eight years.

Asked if she views Ballard and Steichen as a package deal, Irsay-Gordon said, “I can’t answer that question right now.” She added that she doesn’t have “a crystal ball” to see what their futures hold. She did, however, stress the importance of their relationship as they try to steer the Colts back to prominence.

“Winning is great, but I would even take it a step further in saying we’re really committed to being the best, and if we’re the best, we will win games,” Irsay-Gordon said. “And I think Chris and Shane are totally capable of doing that, and we’re confident that they can.”

Anthony Richardson’s future

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson’s NFL career is off to a rocky start, to say the least. The 2023 No. 4 pick has missed 17 games due to injury over his first two years, got benched for two games last year due to a lack of preparation and finished the 2024 season with a league-low 47.7 completion percentage.

Now, Richardson is sidelined again after aggravating the surgically repaired AC joint in his throwing shoulder during an OTA practice with no timeline for his return. His latest injury raises even more questions about his potential, or lack thereof, to become the face of the franchise. Asked if this year is a make-or-break season for Richardson, Irsay-Gordon was noncommittal while offering grace.

“Sometimes when you draft players, they have rough starts. They have injuries. They’ve got the things that they need to go through,” said Irsay-Gordon, who has spent years in the Colts’ war room during the draft. “But I think it’s just way too early to tell (regarding Richardson’s future). I know Chris and Shane will let us know as we go along, but I think he has all the potential in the world.

“If he wants to prove it, he can and he will — if he wants to.”

Richardson was shut down May 29 after reporting pain in his throwing shoulder during OTAs. He recently flew to Los Angeles to have his AC joint rechecked by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the same doctor who performed Richardson’s AC joint surgery in October 2023. Steichen said Richardson is not expected to “need a procedure right now.”

Ex-Giants and Vikings QB Daniel Jones, whom the Colts signed in free agency to challenge Richardson for the starting job, will take all of the first-team reps while Richardson is out. Irsay-Gordon did not mention Jones specifically in Tuesday’s news conference, but she echoed Ballard’s overarching offseason sentiment that the more competition they have on the roster, the better.

“Nothing makes a team raise the waterline more than having other people who are really good to keep them accountable,” Irsay-Gordon said. “I can’t wait for training camp.”

How they’ll lead

The NFL requires every team to have a principal owner, which is the title Irsay-Gordon holds. But she said all three sisters will have a chance to weigh in on any big-picture decisions, and they’ll all have equal say.

Irsay-Gordon didn’t rule out the possibility of hiring an official team president to guide some of the front office’s decisions. However, she noted that Pete Ward, the Colts’ chief operating officer, has already served as a de facto team president for many years. Ward has been with the franchise since the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984 and doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon.

Ultimately, Irsay’s daughters said they won’t run from their responsibilities. They were prepared to take over and plan to do so with pride, discernment and excitement.

“As some people will say, sometimes it can be lonely at the top,” Jackson said, reflecting on the conversations she had with her dad about being an NFL owner. “He didn’t have siblings to bounce ideas off of, and I think that’s something that he was always so happy (about) for us — that we have each other.”

(Photo of Kalen Jackson, Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Casey Foyt: Grace Hollars / USA Today Network)

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