Skip to main content

Colts owner Jim Irsay returns to team's practice following respiratory illness in January

Jim Irsay made his return to the field on Sunday.

The Indianapolis Colts owner, who was treated for a severe respiratory illness in January, was back with his team at training camp, fittingly on the NFL’s Back Together Weekend.

"I've appreciated all of the prayers and concerns," Irsay said in March. "It's a long road and you have to be patient. The great news is everything is going well.''

Irsay also underwent leg surgery this past year, saying in March that the procedure was one of 26 he's undergone over the past seven years. He said it was done to improve his mobility.

The 65-year-old Irsay is entering his 38th season with the club after he became the NFL’s youngest general manager at 25 years old in 1984.

Irsay has been at the helm of Colts day-to-day operations since 1995 after his father, owner Robert Irsay, suffered a stroke. Jim Irsay became the team’s owner officially in 1997 after he won a legal battle with his stepmother to keep the franchise.

During his time as owner, Irsay’s Colts have gone to the playoffs 16 times, won two AFC Championships and one Super Bowl.