Police – Jim Irsay of the Colts was found unresponsive at home in December
INDIANAPOLIS – Colts According to a police report obtained by ESPN, owner Jim Irsay was unresponsive and had difficulty breathing before paramedics took him to a hospital after a suspected overdose last month.
Irsay was found lying in bed and feeling cold when emergency responders reached him on the morning of Dec. 8, according to the Carmel, Indiana, police report. An officer wrote in the report that Irsay's pulse was “weak and slow.”
Radio traffic retrieved by ESPN indicated that firefighters were dispatched to Irsay's address around 4:32 a.m. for a report of an “unconscious person.”
According to the report, Irsay was given a dose of Narcan – a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose – by the first police officers on the scene and had a “mild reaction” before paramedics transported him to a hospital.
Officers determined that Irsay had been prescribed various medications, but noted that it was initially unclear what exact substance he had taken before he was found in distress. The specific medications have been removed from the report for privacy reasons.
The incident was first reported by TMZ.com on Wednesday morning.
The Colts, who announced last week that Irsay was suffering from a “severe respiratory illness,” declined to provide a specific answer but issued a statement Wednesday saying: “Mr. Irsay continues to recover from his respiratory illness. We will have no further comment on his personal health, and we continue to ask that the privacy of Jim and his family be respected.”
The timeline of Irsay's recent troubles is unclear. Irsay has not been seen in public in recent weeks. But ESPN confirmed he was at the Colts' home game against the Colts on Dec. 16 Pittsburgh Steelers – eight days after the emergency at his home.
The team has asked numerous questions about Irsay's health and whereabouts in recent weeks, with Colts officials always saying there would be no comment on personal matters.
Last week, the team changed course when it released a statement about Irsay's respiratory illness, saying it would prevent him from attending an Irsay Collection exhibition and concert in Los Angeles.
“He is receiving excellent care and looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible,” the statement said. Later in the week, general manager Chris Ballard said Irsay was “stable and they're working on it.” He declined to elaborate.
Irsay, 64, has a long history of addiction and has admitted to using opioids and other drugs in the past. In an interview with HBO Sports in November, he revealed that he had been to rehab “at least 15 times.” He also said that years ago he suffered a near-fatal incident in which he went “code blue” and had to be resuscitated.
In the past, Irsay said his addiction to painkillers stemmed from his use after a series of surgeries over the years. Irsay had to undergo multiple procedures due to years of shoulder and hip injuries that significantly affected his mobility.
The Irsay family's successful Kicking the Stigma campaign was launched in 2020 as an expression of Irsay's openness about addiction and mental health. The organization has distributed more than $25 million in grants to mental health agencies.
ESPN reporter Paula Lavigne contributed to this report.
