by: Mike Chappell
WESTFIELD, Ind. — Jim Irsay is on the verge of coming all the way back, although he insisted he’s never really been away.
Sunday, the 65-year old rehabbing owner of the Indianapolis Colts will make every effort to oversee his team’s afternoon training camp practice at Grand Park Sports Campus.
“90% I plan on coming,’’ Irsay told FOX59/CBS4 Saturday evening, quickly adding a forecast that includes rain might dampen those plans.
If Irsay makes his first visit to his 41st training camp in the Indy era, he’ll be chauffeured around in a golf cart.
Then on Aug. 3, he absolutely, positively plans on being on the stage at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, to present defensive end Dwight Freeney for induction as member of the Class of 2024.
“I wouldn’t have missed it for anything,’’ Irsay said. “To get a chance to do a third guy . . . is humbling. I don’t take that for granted.’’
Irsay previously handled that revered responsibility for Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James.
“Those guys know how much I love and supported them,’’ he said.
In Canton, Irsay will be in a wheelchair as he shares Freeney’s Hall of Fame moment.
“I wish I was more mobile for the Hall of Fame,’’ he said, “but I’m going. I’m just going to have to give myself more time.
“I’ve never been in a wheelchair.’’
Irsay still is in rehab mode following a pair of recent surgeries. The first addressed a left leg/quadriceps/back issue that resulted from a fall in his bathroom, impacted the nerves, caused lingering numbness with the leg and weakened the quad. The second in mid-May was to deal with a subsequent, serious hematoma.
There’s been a lengthy hospital stay. Irsay joked it took “negotiating’’ with his specialists and physicians before they released him. And that was followed by long bed rest at his Carmel residence.
“Like almost three months,’’ he said. “I couldn’t move a lot.
“I got great care. Michelle, my significant other, has been great.’’
As Irsay offered an extensive update on his health and recovery, he was completing another session of pool therapy. It’s one of many routines designed to help regain strength in his leg and get him on his feet and mobile again.
“It’s frustrating because I’m normal in so many ways, but I just can’t push off on (the left leg),’’ he said. “It sucks. I can stand on it, but I can’t walk, yet. It’s like 75% weak.
“But it’s (getting better) every day. The best neurosurgeons in the world are telling me, ‘Jim, you’ll be fine. Your recovery is just going to take some time.’
Irsay insisted the entire process has been “an ordeal for someone who’s used to being so self-sufficient and who likes to move around a lot. It’s been humbling. When you have accidental falls . . . I’m just thankful everything’s fine.
“It could have been worse.’’
Those surgeries were compounded as Irsay was just completing rehabilitation from reverse replacement surgery on a shoulder.
“That was a tough operation,’’ he said.
Clearly, it’s been a challenging offseason for Irsay on a personal level.
When Carmel paramedics were dispatched to his home Dec. 8, there was speculation he had suffered an overdose. The responders logged that as a possible reason for the 911 call.
Irsay disputed those rumors in an April interview with FOX59/CBS4. He has been transparent regarding prior addiction issues.
“It wasn’t an overdose,’’ he said at the time. “I don’t know why when you have your name in the paper in the past, people throw that out there quickly. I don’t pay attention to it all that much, but I don’t think it’s fair.’’
Despite the numerous hurdles, Irsay made it clear he never relinquished control of his franchise.
“Look, I was always involved in every major decision,’’ he said. “But in terms of being back where you’re really enjoying that, that’s where I am.
“From an energy standpoint, and everything else, you just feel blessed. And you feel back.’’
Along with returning to being a more “normal’’ owner, Irsay yearns to return to actually walking and hitting the links.
“I should be able to walk and play golf probably in four to eight months,’’ he said. “It’s so hard to predict because I’ve always broken barriers on how quickly I’ve improved.’’
This and that
Not surprisingly, Irsay addressed several topics. Including:
*The upcoming season: “I’m looking forward to the season. We have a heckuva football team, and I think we have a heckuva chance to have a good year. Everyone’s in good spirits, including (Jonathan) Taylor.’’
*Anthony Richardson: “He has a chance to be special-special, and there’s no reason he won’t be special-special. If he is as special as I think he can be, we can do some very good things. You hated to see the (shoulder) injury. It was a damn shame he had to miss so much time. It was such a benign play.’’
*The possible cost of Richardson: Following recent extensions for Green Bay’s Jordan Love and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa, eight quarterbacks have contracts averaging at least $51 million per year. Three — Love, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence — are at $55 million annually.
It’s hard to imagine what Richardson will command if he’s everything the Colts need him to be. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft is in the second year of a rookie deal that pays him an average of $8.498 million per year. That’s 30th among QBs.
Dallas’ Dak Prescott might get a contract in the $65 million-per-year range if he hits the open market after this season.
“I always say, that’s a good problem to have,’’ Irsay laughed.
*Second-year head coach Shane Steichen: “I think Shane is a young Don Shula. I can’t tell you how much I think of him as a great young coach. Better than I even thought was possible.
“He’s not like (Mike) Ditka or (Frank) Kush who cusses at people, but he just is demanding and on the details. He doesn’t mess around. Everything he does is designed for us to be a better football team.’’
*Dwight Freeney: “If it’s possible to say he was underrated, I say he was underrated. He drew more attention and more penalties, was such a destructor. I put him up there with Bruce Smith and the best of the best. His sack numbers don’t tell the truth of how great he was.
“He was just a remarkable, unusual player. There’s no question Dwight deserves it.’’
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