Carlie Irsay-Gordon
 

Just watched her end of the year press conference. Jeez not confidence inspiring to me. Any of you freaks watch it? What did I not see? She wants us to be more urgent as a team. I don't know what the hell that means and am not sure how you can actually do that.

Getting lit on fire for this train wreck. "Adversity struck"... the fucking adversity is having these shitbags soiling this organization with their complacency with suck!

Yeah, be more urgent.

How about you act with urgency in purging the team of fucking losers!

Colts AFC finishes in Ballard's tenure:
17- 13th
18- 6th
19- 11th
20- 5th
21- 9th
22- 14th
23- 9th
24- 9th
25- 10th

That's fucking sickening! That's in the upper quartile of the upper quartile of being dogshit!

GTF outta here with this happiness with what we are building bullshit! She even makes reference to the appalling late game collapses, and still fucking agrees to let them do more damage next year. Insane man, insane.

This organization is completely fucked!

Didn’t see the presser, but to me, urgent means that the current regime doesn’t have a lot of leash. Urgent means that maybe, just maybe, she’s willing to shell out enough bucks to fill a couple of holes in free agency.

I watched it.

We might be fucked.

I watched it

Seemed like a nervous new owner knowing she’s replacing a legend

It’s her first year I think she didn’t wanna come off as the emotional female owner that will make changes every year and I’m sure the trust factor played into the decision as well

I had to go make me a drink when she mentioned I wonder what my dad would’ve been saying or tweeting about this season, cheers Jim you’re missed

To me, she did the most important thing. She demonstrated that she wasn’t her Grandfather.

You guys would have loved Bob Irsay.
He was the owner of your dreams..
He was a guy who fired coaches because they didn’t win preseason games.
He once announced he was firing every coach in the building.
He wasn’t satisfied with draft results, so he dropped out of the scouting combine and pared down the scouting staff to a couple guys who spent the year locked in a room, watching film.
When the Colts drafted John Elway, he shipped him to Denver for Chris Hinton and a bucket of balls.
He fired Joe Thomas, the architect of Miami’s dynasty.
He ran Ernie Accorsi, the GM responsible for dragging the Giants out of a quarter century of mediocrity, out of the building.
If Bob were still the owner, he would have stood at the podium, fired Ballard, then passed out drunk.

Firing GMs is a lot harder than coaches. There probably wasn't a potential replacement.

Ummm...how many first rounders did he shit away? This team is fucked...

We can't even get a good pick from tanking, which won't be hard. Be lurking in 4 years fellas...now which nfc team to bandwagon...which I have never done in 40 years...Fuck da coats!

Hopefully it's more this. I absolutely noticed the nerves. I can empathize with that; This used to be her Dad's job.

To me it was a very awkward press conference. I'm not old enough to know what Jim looked like when he first started. I think ownership has an opportunity in a circumstance like this to give us a product pitch to try and build some kind of confidence going forward. Jim may have gotten up there and talked about Sausage or some shit about being in the upper quartile, and it would be a cute soundbite that ESPN and NBC would run with, but I think as a fanbase we understood what Irsay was trying to say.

CIG has an opportunity to grow within that context, for sure. Having had some time to digest things I sense she wanted to at the very least appear accountable and wanted the fanbase to feel seen & heard (She's pissed) but she has not yet developed the marketing skills her dad had, even if they could be a bit comical at times.

Ultimately, however, I do not think the fanbase as a whole feels any better about the situation after that press conference. There's grumblings on Reddit that the daughters do not have the $ to really compete and confidence in ownership does not appear to be improving.

Could also be as an insider within the organization she knows her father influenced/directed some of the drafting & personnel moves over the last 5-years that didn't work out and is walking the line with being respectful to his legacy and fair to Ballard & Co.

I suspect it's more about being conservative in regards change or money but the above isn't out of the question.....

Even if she’d been polished and suave, her performance wouldn’t have been well received by people demanding that heads roll.

I will never understand why fans want their franchise to operate like the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns rather than organizations that have sustained success like the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, etc.

The first set of organizations has near constant flux in their front office. The second set of organizations has near constant consistency in their front office. The results speak to which approach is more effective.

Nobody wants the Jets or Browns brand here. There is a shitload of difference between replacing your GM every 2-3 years and wanting him gone after a decade of mediocre play. Almost everyone on this board was on board with Ballard at least thru his first 5 years. How long is long enough to know what you have Dan?

The Irsay's have issued a letter to Colt fans to clarify yesterdays presser

https://www.colts.com/news/letter-fr...-kalen-jackson

For me we are truly fucked. To quote the gals:

we believe we can compete for the division and a playoff berth next season and into the future

So that is our goal, not to compete for Super Bowl Championships but to be able to compete to get into the playoffs.

Holy shit, now we're going to try to say we should emulate the likes of Steelers, Ravens, Eagles, and Packers in terms of their commitment to stability. You know what those organizations have- they have a fucking commitment to not accepting bullshit! Tomlin manages to fight through some of the worst QB play you will ever see, toxic fucking players doing toxic shit, and still, every damn year, he wins. It's a demand to be good, to overcome adversity, to refuse to make excuses.

Those of you in you that camp, you do realize those teams are PERPETUALLY in the thick of things from a playoff, and even SB title contention perspective. The reason they have stability, is because the fucking people they hired to run and coach the team----- ARE FUCKING GOOD AT IT! They identify good football players, they demand they perform, they make good coaching decisions. Jesus Christ, we suck, because we DON'T DO THOSE THINGS!

Yes, I very much agree with you, 100%, so let's do that- let's get rid of the shitty GM who can't field a top to bottom playoff caliber team that makes the playoffs and let's jettison the coach who is 7-22 against winning football teams. Yes, please, let's be like them and build a consistent culture of winning. We don't have that right now, and we aren't going to so long as the existing crew are allowed to suck and suck and suck and suck every fucking year and at the end just say "sorry, tried, see you next year".

Un-fucking believable...

I honestly don’t know what you find upsetting in a, mostly, anodyne statement that touched most bases..

She affirmed that the organization is committed to excellence; even though she didn’t mention the Super Bowl, she probably assumed that we wouldn’t nitpick a few words.

She said that last year’s early season success makes her believe that Ballard and Steichen have a blueprint for success, a blueprint that includes being active in free agency, drafting well, and boldly pursuing talent.

She said she expects that the team will build on the success we saw in the first 10 games and carry it over into the playoffs.

She says she understands the frustration you feel because no changes were made, but she wants you to know that the organization has a commitment to winning.

Unspoken is the any talk of consequences if past futility carries into the future, but come on. Do you really want an owner who holds a sword of damocles over the organization?

Absofucking lutely!

This is entertainment. We pay a LOT of money to be entertained. They MAKE a LOT of money on this product. When the product sucks, then yes, the owner should use the sword as a way to force a better product.

Damn... hopefully next year there are some really pretty Colts blue medals to be given to the boys for their hard work!


FUCK!

It’s her first year as an owner not to mention she wasn’t around football from childhood all the way through her entire life like Jim. Jim knew his football and not only that he built lifelong connections and was able to figure out who to trust and how to maneuver to become a successful NFL franchise. There’s no way bad health or not the girls were expecting to be running this team this soon.

I mean I love comparisons but holy fuck I mean the only thing I can come up with is… fuck … I don’t know… she went from driving a brand new Cadillac Escalade to her dad handing her the keys to a fucking Disney Cruise ship pretty much overnight

John Harbaugh---- GONE!

Man, the Ravens are fucking stupid! They are giving up on stability, they are taking a giant risk that they can find someone better! They must be crazy!

This is what happens when you under-perform, you are removed from your position. Unless of course you are a part of the Colts organization.

I love this post. She's had 6 months on the job and has to trust her lieutenants at this point. Carlie hasn't even had an off-season to formulate a short list of both GM and HC candidates. So, do we want her to go into this blind and make a bad decision? IMHO, she should consult with someone like Polian or Dungy to strategize a future without the current regime.

If she hires the next Rich Kotite or Matt McMillen, then Indy may not be long for having a team.

Enjoy!

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...sson-3rd-grade

More than any one person she will determine our future. She seems like as decent a human being as any billionaire can be. She is in a difficult situation but is putting in the work. I have faith in her. Will take years to know for sure

Chopped actually wrote a letter by hand?

o


Why Colts Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon Oozes With Optimism Despite the Team’s Recent Failures

(By James Boyd)

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/748...-daniel-jones/



WESTFIELD, Ind. — Carlie Irsay-Gordon needed to get something off of her chest. So on the eve of the Indianapolis Colts’ 1st training camp practice, the organization’s principal owner stood before the players and coaches and delivered a message.

“As we reflected on last season, this one phrase just kept coming to my mind ...... ‘Find a way,’” Irsay-Gordon said on Friday after the Colts’ 3rd training camp practice. “And so that was the mantra that we settled on for this season.”

Irsay-Gordon explained that traits like consistency, resiliency, and mental toughness separate the great teams from the rest of the pack. The problem, however, is that based on the results, the Colts have lacked those qualities, especially last season.

After surging to an 8-2 start atop the AFC standings in 2025, the Colts lost their last 7 games and missed the playoffs for the 5th consecutive year. Injuries were a significant factor, most notably when starting QB Daniel Jones ruptured his right Achilles tendon, but Irsay-Gordon still expected more.

This year, she hopes, will be different.

“We certainly can’t use injuries as an excuse, because that’s something every team goes through,” Irsay-Gordon said. “I’ve talked to players and coaches about (how) if you haven’t quite had success yet, sometimes it’s important to think about where you came from, where you are now and what you want to become. It’s hard when we’ve had years of not quite getting over that hump, but I think that that’s why we’re hammering on (that mantra of) finding a way.”

Indianapolis hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020, hasn’t won a playoff game since 2018, and hasn’t won the AFC South since 2014. What’s more, amid their current 5-year post-season drought, the Colts are a combined 18-27 in November, December, and January.

Despite damning evidence that the Colts have been a middling franchise in recent years, Irsay-Gordon oozed optimism on Friday, and said that she knows that the Colts have “everything we need” to change the franchise’s direction. A large part of Irsay-Gordon’s belief is rooted in the team’s field general ...... Daniel Jones.

The veteran quarterback, who is about 8 months removed from surgery to repair his right Achilles tendon, is already a full participant in practice and poised to begin his 2nd season as Indianapolis’s starter. Jones quickly won over the locker room last year thanks to his steady play, attention to detail, and toughness, which have carried over into 2026. The elephant in the room, which Irsay-Gordon acknowledged, is that Jones has a lengthy injury history and hasn’t completed a full season since 2022.

“I feel like every player has injuries, and I just think that Daniel, he has a find-a-way mindset,” Irsay-Gordon said.

“Thursday morning, I’m working out, it’s like 6 AM, and he’s coming out of the quarterback room. And he did that all through, even with his injury ...… he’s just a great leader, and I believe that he’s going to find a way to figure it out, stay healthy, and get us to where we need to go.”

Of course, Irsay-Gordon isn’t expecting everything to break the Colts’ way ...... hardships surely await, she warned, but how they respond will reveal who they truly are.

“You have to have that mindset, that inner-belief, that inner-faith to overcome,” Irsay-Gordon said.

“What are you going to do when the adversity comes ??? Are you going to stay disciplined ??? Are you going to stay consistent ??? Or are you going to go into the fetal position ??? …... it kind of comes down to that find-a-way mindset.”


Ballard and Steichen’s Future


Aside from sharing the Colts’ new mantra on Friday, Irsay-Gordon was also asked about the future of two of the franchise’s most important figures ...... GM Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen. Ballard, who is entering his 10th season and the final year of his contract, has a 70-78-1 record in Indianapolis. Steichen is 25-26 as he begins his 4th campaign.

Ballard said on Tuesday that he did not expect to receive a contract extension, presumably because he hasn’t delivered enough wins on his current one. Asked if she viewed the 2026 campaign as a “consequential season” for Ballard and Steichen’s job security, Irsay-Gordon did not give a definitive answer.

“I think that even if you’re Seattle, I think that the pressure is always there,” Irsay-Gordon said of the Super Bowl champion Seahawks. “But certainly, as I’ve told Chris and Shane, the sense of urgency has never been higher, and we have to find a way.”

Irsay-Gordon added that she’ll continue empowering Ballard, regardless of his expiring contract, and she won’t micromanage his roster decisions. When asked where things stand regarding Ballard’s tenure with the team, Irsay-Gordon again declined specifics.

“I believe that we have everyone here to get us where we need to go,” Irsay-Gordon said. “Chris wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe that, and we’re just going to have to see how things play out.”


Mum on Taylor’s Contract


Irsay-Gordon would not guarantee that Jonathan Taylor would get a new contract, but she was complimentary of the Colts’ star running back. Taylor, who is entering the last year of his 3-year, $42 Million deal, said in the spring that he "wants to be a Colt for life.”

He doubled down on Wednesday, saying that he believes that his contract negotiations are “moving in the right direction.”

“I love Jonathan. I’m really proud of the leader that he’s become on our team,” Irsay-Gordon said while keeping all contract negotiations private. “His picture is on the side of Lucas Oil Stadium for a reason, and I would love it if he would be a Colt for life.”

Taylor’s 69 rushing TD's are the most in Colts history. He ranks 2nd in franchise rushing yards (7,598), trailing only Hall-of-Famer Edgerrin James (9,266.)


Last Camp at Grand Park


Irsay-Gordon said that it was “a tough decision” to stop hosting the Colts’ training camp at Westfield’s Grand Park. After this year, training camp will be held at the team’s practice facility on West 56th Street. The Colts have called Grand Park their summer home for 8 of the last 9 years, with the only exception being in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It wasn’t a financial decision,” Irsay-Gordon said. “It was really more about the operational efficiency, making sure that our team can prepare to perform on game-day, and that was just the best decision.”

Irsay-Gordon said that the Colts haven’t hammered out how they will accommodate fans at their practice facility, which is much smaller than Grand Park, but she vowed that the fans will remain a priority.

o

We are fucked if this is her real feelings. She 'thinks' and 'hopes' we will be better. She is cheering everyone on, not setting goals and letting folks know that those goals get met or you are gone. She seems nice, happy and not the least bit pissed. 'We have everything we need' for what? Maybe possibly making the playoffs-which seems to be the goal we have set for ourselves. Apparently we just need the correct 'mindset' (same people leading in the front office and on the field but just try harder-WTF have we been doing)

o


That won't have anything to do with it. If we're fucked, we're fucked ...... it won't have anything to do with how optimistic or how pessimistic her feelings are on the matter ...... I believe that there are numerous knowledgeable posters here on ColtFreaks that probably have a better sense of what to expect from the team than Carlie Irsay-Gordon does.


I just posted that because it's the off-season, and there subsequently isn't much traffic on the main board anyway.

o

Not sure what your beef is here C&O. My opinion is that the owner is probably the most important person for the future development of the football team. I don't like what she is projecting in this. To me it will all be ok because now we are finally going to try really hard and everything will fall into place. I am also putting my thoughts on this board because there is so little traffic. There is almost zero enthusiasm surrounding this team in the fan base. I apprecieate you trying to keep the board alive and was just trying to do the same and have someone disagree and give me some reason for optimism. I guess i should have made myself clearer, i was talking long term as well as short term fucked.You're absolutly correct that what she thinks, at this point, will have almost no effect on the team. Her thinking, however, is exactly why we have the team we will put on the field this year. 100% it is her decision to bring the whole group back to just try harder.

o


It's not a beef.

And it wasn't a defense of the team's chances, either.

Daniel Jones could break his arm in Week 4, and the Colts could go 5-12.

Jonathan Taylor could severely sprain his ankle, miss 9 games, and the Colts could go 6-11.

I was pointing out that if we're fucked, we're fucked. Irsay-Gordon's feelings on the matter won't change that. If you believe that her feelings are a harbinger of things to come, that's OK ...... I don't.


My apologies if you thought that I was shunning or making fun of your opinion. I wasn't. I'm just as clueless about what will happen with the 2026 Colts as anyone else is.

o

It is a tough time to be a Colt fan. I am struggling with it and from the action on this board so are a lot of us. I agree about this year her thinking will not affect the team, was just thinking long term. Like everyone I am sick of being mediocre. Feels hopeless.

o


Now that I think about it, you have a good point ...... it was kind of silly of me to post an article about what Carlie Irsay-Gordon thinks, and then turn around and say that I don't care what she thinks ...... as I said, at times I can be as clueless as anybody else.

o

I'm very excited about the season. I've found the off-season conversation pretty fucking amusing as it's nearly a mirror of last season's. Same as last year, I anticipate a similar schizophrenic shift in tone once the season starts.

There's always been outcome bias with a lot of guys. I don't know how many times I've made the poker analogy here.

But the past 8-9 months has been a fascinating - impressive even - display of hindsight bias. The broader sentiment going into the season was a totally mid roster that will win 8 games. Then at 7-1 and after torching the #2 and #5 defenses and going toe to toe with the Rams... It became, "Oh, the roster has been good the whole time. We just needed stable, competent QB play." And then after Jones goes down and we're at 8-9 it was, "See? 8 wins like I said from the beginning."

As if not having your starting QB, backup QB, best pass rusher, best CB, and newly acquired even better CB, etc., was all part of that pre-season equation. I've heard of some radicals who argue that these are important positions.