"He battled his demons" - Colts icon Pat McAfee devastated by Jim Irsay's shocking death at age 65

Jim Irsay, the longtime owner of the Indianapolis Colts, died Wednesday at age 65. According to a statement released by the franchise, Irsay died “peacefully in his sleep.” The news shocked the NFL world, and one of his former players shared an emotional tribute.

Ex-punter Pat McAfee, who spent his entire eight-year NFL career (2009–2016) with the Colts, posted a heartfelt message on X. In it, he reflected on what he called “the honor” of playing under a “funny, brilliant, unique and somehow still wildly relatable man.”

"He battled his demons, as we all do but, God blessed Jim Irsay with an abundance of compassion," McAfee said. "He wanted to give back/help everybody and everything he saw or knew about."

He continued by recalling a conversation during the 2011 NFL lockout that eventually sparked Irsay’s well-known Twitter giveaways:

"He was a mogul who had a creative artist’s brain.. Everything he did he wanted to do in a big and imaginative way.. his Twitter Giveaways became just that.. he wanted them to be awesome... and they were. He was a Billionaire who yearned to share his wealth in fun ways."

McAfee also recounted a memorable conversation with Irsay at the time of his retirement. Despite tension in their relationship, Irsay encouraged him to stay with the Colts:

"He gave me quotes and words to live by.. told me stories of mistakes he and others had made and he promised he would do anything he could to help me in my venture. 'If for some reason this doesn’t work or you don’t want to do it anymore, you’ll always have a job here at the Colts. You are family.'

"Jim was a real one.. and we will all miss the shit out of him... Thank you for EVERYTHING big man.. You were a damn legend. Rest Easy, brother."

Another former Colt, Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, also reacted to the news, saying on Instagram that he was “heartbroken.”

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Bears owner George McCaskey reacts to Jim Irsay's death

Upon hearing of Jim Irsay’s death, Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey issued this statement:

"Jim was a Chicago guy through and through, and spoke often about his pride in being connected to our great city. He was a gracious victor in Super Bowl XLI, and he was a great friend of the Bears."

The Colts are now expected to be co-owned by Irsay’s three daughters: Carlie Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson.