National Football League

Colts owner Jim Irsay found unresponsive, struggling to breathe during December emergency call, per reports

Published Jan. 17, 2024 6:53 p.m. ET

First responders found Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay unresponsive and struggling to breathe in early December when they responded to an emergency call from inside the home, TMZ.com reported Wednesday.

The online outlet cited police records from Carmel, Indiana, a northern suburb of Indianapolis, that detailed the Dec. 8 incident. TMZ.com said the police report revealed Irsay had a "blue skin tone" when they arrived and he was treated with Narcan, a medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose. Eventually, he was transported to a hospital.

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Irsay has a history of addiction to painkillers and has publicly addressed the problems he has faced, most recently in November when he told HBO Sports he had sought treatment at least 15 times.

Earlier this month, Irsay cancelled a performance in Los Angeles with the Jim Irsay Band because of what team officials described as a severe respiratory illness. When asked for an update on Irsay's condition last week, general manager Chris Ballard said he was stable and he was getting through it.

On Wednesday, the Colts issued another statement.

"Mr. Irsay continues to recover from his respiratory illness," it read. "We will have no further comment on his personal health and we continue to ask that Jim and his family's privacy be respected."

The 64-year-old Irsay received a six-game suspension and was fined $500,000 by the NFL after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in September 2014. He was arrested six months earlier when Carmel officers spotted him driving unusually near his home. During a search of the car, police found a variety of prescription drugs and $29,000 in cash.

Reporting by the Associated Press.