Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon defends hands-on strategy with Colts: ‘It’s what good teams do’

Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon defends hands-on strategy with Colts: ‘It’s what good teams do’ originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Indianapolis Colts steadied their season with two wins over the last two weeks, but the spotlight is still on team owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon.

The Colts CEO went viral in 2025 when she was spotted on the sidelines with a headset while taking notes during games, more resembling a coach than an owner. That strategy was received better online when the Colts began the 2025 season strong, but the team’s struggle’s since the middle of last season has led some people to criticize Irsay-Gordon’s tactics.

Irsay-Gordon is not the only Colts owner, as her sisters Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson also inherited the team after Jim Irsay’s death in 2025. Irsay-Gordon, though, took on the responsibilities of being CEO, while Foyt is the Executive Vice President and Jackson is the team’s Chief Brand Officer.

In a league where many of the owners watch the team from a box at the top of the stadium, Irsay-Gordon’s approach to her ownership as at the very least something different. However, she maintains that it is the best way for her to run the team.

Here’s what Irsay-Gordon said about her hands-on approach to ownership.

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Carlie Irsay-Gordon defends hands-on strategy

In her second season as the Colts owner and CEO, Carlie Irsay-Gordon has continued to provide a hands-on strategy of running the team. Irsay-Gordon frequently stands on the sidelines during the game, even using a headset to know what the team is running every play.

While Irsay-Gordon has been criticized for being too involved in the Colts game day process, she admits that she doesn’t know as much as the coaching staff and is confident that this is something that makes her a better owner.

“I like to say on a good day I have like a fifth-grade reading level understanding of the game and just the basic concepts of what we’re trying to do, depending on the week and depending on our opponent and depending on the situation,” Irsay-Gordon said, via Front Office Sports. “But I think, then, it just helps to understand and to ask questions because I think one of the things, in my opinion, like being a good leader is about listening, really to understand. And I think that’s what the best teams do.”

Carlie Irsay-Gordon talks to FOS’s Bridget Condon about the increased attention she’s received since becoming the principal owner of the Indianapolis Colts back in 2025 and discusses her leadership philosophy. https://t.co/7X52ejoxwD

— Front Office Sports Tonight (@FOSTonight) October 6, 2026

Irsay-Gordon inherited the team when her father, Jim Irsay, passed away in 2025, making her the youngest owner in the NFL at 45 years-old. Therefore, she comes with a different approach than many of the older owners, who usually sit in a box above the field during games.

As long as Irsay-Gordon is in charge of the team, she will be under the microscope after her father was such a big part of the NFL for decades.