PHOENIX — When Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon sat down to converse with the media on the Arizona Biltmore Resort on Sunday, it marked one other clear step in the franchise’s new period. For the primary time in three years, the team’s owner spoke on the document on the NFL annual assembly, as Irsay-Gordon continues her first full offseason because the Colts’ principal owner. She took over for her late father, Jim Irsay, who died in May 2025 and had not spoken on the league assembly the final two years, and inherited a franchise that finds itself removed from its glory days.
The Colts have missed the playoffs for 5 straight years and haven’t notched double-digit victories in a season since 2020, which was fittingly the final time they reached the postseason. Last season, at first, appeared to be completely different. Indianapolis started 8-2 earlier than a litany of accidents, most notably quarterback Daniel Jones’ ruptured proper Achilles tendon, derailed its promising marketing campaign.
Irsay-Gordon spoke for roughly 35 minutes Sunday about why she nonetheless believes in the glimpse of greatness her team displayed final yr and the place it stands now. Here’s what she mentioned and what I feel it means.
On re-signing Jones and trusting him, regardless of his prolonged damage historical past: “Obviously, the human body is a mystery and everything points to his rehab going great, everything went well. And he’s gonna do all of the right things, so I’m really convicted that he’s gonna be (good). It’s sort of like last year, before we kind of faced some adversity and went downhill, it’s like we pressed pause on a movie and now we’re pressing play, and we get to see what happens at the end, which I think is gonna be a really cool thing.”
My evaluation: Jones was undoubtedly the very best QB the Colts have had since Philip Rivers in 2020 (not to be confused with the one who got here out of retirement in 2025). During Indy’s 8-2 start, the team averaged 3.17 factors per drive, which was the fourth-highest mark by a team by its first 10 video games this century. Jones threw 15 landing passes towards seven picks and held a 101.6 passer ranking during that span. He additionally had 5 dashing touchdowns.
Irsay-Gordon seems to be banking on Jones placing collectively a full season in 2026, however, utilizing her film analogy, the sequel will not be significantly better than what we noticed in 2025. The actuality is that Jones is injury-prone, evidenced by him taking part in just one full season by his first seven. She additionally famous Jones’ chemistry with Colts coach and play caller Shane Steichen, in addition to a number of gamers on the team — specifically broad receiver Alec Pierce — wanting him again as large causes he was retained. The Colts had no need to start over at QB, she mentioned, which is comprehensible. But I’m nonetheless extra inclined to assume this season gained’t have the fairy-tale ending Irsay-Gordon is hoping for. Sports hardly ever work out that method.
Carlie Irsay-Gordon spoke with media members in January after the Colts’ season ended with six straight losses. (Mykal McEldowney / IndyStar)
On Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future with the franchise after he requested a commerce: “(General manager Chris Ballard) can probably speak more to that, but I think Anthony, I’m proud of the way he’s handled himself. … He’s so immensely talented, and I feel like the world is his oyster. He totally has an opportunity to have a career in the NFL if he wants to. I just feel so bad that he’s getting the short end of the stick (with injuries).”
My evaluation: I requested Irsay-Gordon immediately if the Colts would love to commerce Richardson earlier than subsequent month’s draft, and unsurprisingly, she didn’t give a definitive reply. To be honest, it most likely wouldn’t be clever for any owner to converse on the way forward for a participant amid a public commerce request. But her response, in my opinion, reaffirmed that Richardson merely hasn’t labored out in Indy, and a change of surroundings is probably going a formality. The 23-year-old has began simply 15 video games by his first three years, and he’s thrown 11 landing passes towards 13 interceptions. Irsay-Gordon added it could be straightforward to look again and say the team ought to have gone in a completely different route, however she defended the Colts’ collection of Richardson, saying Sunday he was “the most talented player available” when he was drafted fourth in 2023. It would behoove the Colts to commerce Richardson earlier than the draft to allow them to instantly use no matter potential draft capital they recoup.
On if the team has improved for the reason that finish of final season: “I think we’re off to a great start. Obviously, getting Arden Key … and getting both Daniel and Alec signed, and one of the things I’m so excited about — that was so heartbreaking to me — is Justin Walley and Hunter Wohler coming back. … But this is just my layman’s view is that I think the path that we need is obviously D-line, and I think it’s a clear path as far as, ‘What are the pieces that we need?’ And I feel like there’s a lot of great opportunities in the draft.”
My evaluation: Irsay-Gordon defined that it was troublesome to half methods with veterans resembling broad receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and linebacker Zaire Franklin, who have been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, respectively. But these strikes have been crucial due to “what’s best for the whole” team. The difficulty, from my perspective, is that whereas the Colts have moved on from 5 starters, together with Pittman and Franklin, they haven’t discovered enough replacements. Therefore, it’s greater than honest to say the team hasn’t improved. It was additionally stunning to hear Irsay-Gordon point out Walley and Wohler, who missed their complete rookie seasons due to ACL and Lisfranc accidents, respectively. Could they be impression gamers in 2026? Sure, however that’s a lot of stress to put on two guys who haven’t performed an NFL snap.
The Colts have evident holes at a few positions, most notably defensive finish, and whereas the draft might provide some options, Indy additionally doesn’t have a first-round decide this yr. Sure, Key could also be a nice addition, however he shouldn’t be beginning reverse Laiatu Latu on the sting. And if he’s, the Colts can be in large hassle, particularly in the event that they don’t discover a game-wrecking defensive finish in the draft. Keep in thoughts, the Colts drafted former Ohio State edge rusher JT Tuimoloau in the second spherical final yr, and he performed simply 24 % of the team’s defensive snaps during his rookie marketing campaign and was a wholesome scratch a few instances.
On whether or not the Colts have sufficient money to compete with different groups in free company: “We do. But I also think even if you have enough cash, you don’t want to (be reckless). I think that’s why setting a budget and being disciplined (are important) because what you don’t want to do is defer (money) in perpetuity. … There’s a lot of moving pieces, but I think we’ve shown this year that we’ve spent more than we have in a long time.”
My evaluation: Irsay-Gordon dismissed the notion that Indianapolis has any monetary restraints when it comes to establishing a team. The Colts signed Jones to a two-year, $88 million contract with $50 million totally assured, and so they signed Pierce to a four-year, $114 million take care of $60 million totally assured, per Over the Cap. Those two contracts converse to the team’s willingness to spend large to retain its high expertise and keep aggressive, however the query now turns into: What subsequent? The Colts have $26.6 million in cap area, in accordance to Over the Cap, which ought to give them loads of cash to improve their roster, although as free company wanes, there doesn’t seem to be a clear participant left whom Indy ought to again up the Brink’s truck for.
On her end-of-season feedback in regards to the team’s sense of urgency being at its highest and the way that’s been put into observe this offseason: “When you miss the playoffs for five years, you feel it. It’s palpable. … And so, I think part of it is just being with sort of the road that we’ve gone on, now it’s sort of like, ‘OK, we’re gonna empty the tank because we gotta go balls to the wall.’ And I think sometimes feeling that helps everyone sort of raise that waterline.”
My evaluation: The solely tangible factor I can level to and say that the Colts’ sense of urgency is increased than it’s been in the previous, at the least for one particular person, is the actual fact Ballard is coming into the ultimate yr of his contract — with out an extension — for the primary time in his now 10-year tenure. But apart from Ballard’s murky future, Indy’s roster strikes this offseason haven’t felt as palpably pressing as Irsay-Gordon advised. Perhaps that would change with a residence run draft, which is one thing Ballard can converse to extra immediately when he sits down with the media Monday afternoon, but when anybody is skeptical of the Colts’ offseason plan to date, they’ve each proper to be.
