Colts owner Irsay being treated for ‘serious respiratory illness’

Jim Irsay plays the "Tiger" guitar originally owned by Jerry Garcia. (Photo provided by Indianapolis Colts)

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is being treated for a severe respiratory illness and will be unable to perform with his band later this week, team officials said Tuesday.

The announcement comes three days after Indy (9-8) was eliminated from playoff contention with a 23-19 loss to the Houston Texans.

“He is receiving excellent care and looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible,” the team said in a statement. “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.”

Stephen Holder, who covers the Colts for ESPN, said via the social media service X that Irsay “has not been seen publicly for weeks.”

The Jim Irsay Band was scheduled to perform in Los Angeles on Thursday night as part of the next Jim Irsay Collection tour stop, which allows the public to view a unique variety of pop culture items such as sports memorabilia, musical instruments and original printed works.

The 64-year-old Irsay began running the team’s day-to-day operations in 1995 after his father, Robert, suffered a stroke. When his father died in 1997, he won a legal battle with his stepmother to keep the franchise.

Irsay has been a fixture around team headquarters since his father bought the Los Angeles Rams and swapped franchises with the late Carroll Rosenbloom to acquire the Colts, starting his career as a ballboy when Hall of Fame quarterback John Unitas was still playing in Baltimore.

Following the Colts’ move from Baltimore to Indy in 1984, Irsay became the league’s youngest general manager at age 25.

The Colts have won one Super Bowl and two AFC titles during Irsay’s tenure.