The Indianapolis Colts announced on Tuesday they’ll wear a jersey patch this season in honour of late owner, chairman and CEO Jim Irsay, who passed away on May 21 at the age of 65.
The son of businessman Robert Irsay, who moved the Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis in the middle of the night in 1984, Jim Irsay served as vice president and general manager of the franchise from that date through his father’s death in 1997.
After becoming the NFL’s youngest owner at the age of 37, Irsay saw the Colts reach the playoffs 18 times, winning 10 division titles, two conference championships and one Super Bowl title (XLI) during his tenure.
Indianapolis’ 115 wins from 2000-09 were the second-most in a decade by any NFL team, trailing only the New England Patriots’ 125 victories from 2010-19.
Irsay also worked with several Pro Football Hall of Famers during his his career, including quarterback Peyton Manning (2021), running backs Erik Dickerson (1999), Marshall Faulk (2011) and Edgerrin James (2020), wide receiver Marvin Harrison (2016), coach Tony Dungy (2016) and vice president/general manager Bill Polian (2015).
As for the black circular patch, which will be worn on the left shoulder, prominently displays Irsay’s initials beneath his signature, which includes his trademark smiley face. There are also seven nailheads, matching the Colts’ horseshoe logo.
The Colts previously wore a jersey patch to mark the NFL’s 50th season in 1969, their 10th season in Indianapolis in 1993, the NFL’s 75th season in 1994, the elder Irsay’s passing in 1997, their 50th season in 2002, the grand opening of Lucas Oil Stadium and the passing of NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw in 2008 and their 30th, 35th and 40th seasons in Indianapolis in 2013, 2018 and 2023, respectively.
The franchise actually wore two different patches for Robert Irsay, both of which were shaped like the horseshoe logo and featured his initials at the top, but they had a white background against their blue home jerseys and blue background against their white road jerseys.
Photos courtesy of @Colts on X/Twitter.
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