Jim Irsay to be inducted into Colts Ring of Honor
Irsay passed away on May 21 and was laid to rest on June 2. The Colts made the announcement June 13 on what would have been Irsay's 66th birthday.
Colts' deep threat Alec Pierce looking to expand his game
Officials say Jim Irsay will become the 20th honoree, joining:
Owner Robert Irsay
WR-Bill Brooks
Head Coach Ted Marchibroda
G/T-Chris Hinton
QB-Jim Harbaugh
'Colts Nation'
Head Coach Tony Dungy
WR-Marvin Harrison
RB-Edgerrin James
RB-Eric Dickerson
RB-Marshall Faulk
C-Jeff Saturday
General Manager Bill Polian
QB-Peyton Manning
WR-Reggie Wayne
DE-Dwight Freeney
DE-Robert Mathis
T/G-Tarik Glenn
TE-Dallas Clark
'There was no bigger advocate for the Colts, the NFL, the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana than our dad, Jim Irsay,' said Colts Owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon. 'It's only fitting that he now joins the other amazing Colts legends in our Ring of Honor who contributed so much to our franchise and our community over the past four decades.'
Jim was born and raised in the Chicago area, but some of his memories came from his youth working Colts training camps in Baltimore, Maryland, after his father, a Chicago businessman, acquired the Baltimore Colts in 1972. There, Jim started his 54-year affiliation with the Colts and began 'cultivating a lifetime of relationships' with players, coaches and staff.
The Pacers are in the NBA Finals. The Fever have Caitlin Clark. In Indy, basketball is booming
After graduating in 1982 from Southern Methodist University, where he played football and earned a degree in broadcast journalism, Jim joined the franchise and worked in virtually every department before being named the youngest general manager in NFL history when the Colts arrived in Indianapolis in 1984. In 1987, he helped lead the team to its first division title and playoff appearance during the Indianapolis era. After he assumed sole ownership of the club in 1997, Jim oversaw a 'historic, record-breaking' period of success on the field.
The Colts say, overall, Jim, as owner, led them to 10 division titles, two AFC Championships and the club's fourth world championship. From 2007 to 2012, the Colts played in two Super Bowls (XLI, XLIV) and hosted a Super Bowl in a span of just six years.
Officials say a pillar of his lasting legacy is the powerful influence Kicking The Stigma has had, is having and will have on improving mental health awareness, research and treatment in Indiana and across the United States.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Scheme-wise, there will be an emphasis on wide-zone runs which, in simple terms, is predicated around the offensive line moving together laterally at the snap and forcing the defense to flow in the same direction of the offensive line, creating cut-back opportunities for the running back. The goal is to open up creases for the back to attack — and so the Jets' backs (namely Breece Hall) need to do a better job of attacking those holes when they come than they did a year ago. 'The offense is similar to what we did my freshman year at Wisconsin. It's very familiar for me, it's very natural,' running back Braelon Allen said. Center Joe Tippmann said the offensive line's responsibilities are different in this offense than in the last one. 'What we were doing before, there was a lot of getting out wide and running. Now it's tighter landmarks and more downhill,' Tippmann said. 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'That group is taking on the identity of what AG talks about,' Engstrand said. 'I think they are taking that to heart and they are playing with that mentality. Which you're seeing — we're finding some lanes and getting some movement up front, but we've got some really good players out there, too, like we talked about in the spring. I really like where that group is going right now.' Said Glenn: 'Every offensive lineman that I know, man, they want to get downhill and smash somebody. And that's what our guys can do.' In addition to the offensive line, Glenn made it a point to add (and bring back) wide receivers with a willingness to get in the mix and block in the running game. It was the first thing that came out of Glenn's mouth in March when he was asked why they signed wide receiver Josh Reynolds, and the No. 1 reason the Jets (surprisingly) brought back Allen Lazard. Glenn has also emphasized how impressed he's been with tight end Mason Taylor's blocking ability in camp — and backup Jeremy Ruckert's primary role will likely be as a blocker too. The expression 'no block, no rock' might as well be painted on the walls of the wide receiver room. 'Receivers gotta be able to block,' said wide receiver Tyler Johnson. 'You gotta do the dirty work.' Garrett Wilson, the Jets' star receiver, is excited about the prospect of a running game actually opening things up in the passing game — especially important since the Jets don't have a whole lot of threats to scare opposing defenses and draw attention away from Wilson. 'The better we can run the ball with the running backs we got, Justin's ability to run the ball, the more push we can get, the more we can run the ball on second and short and convert, that stuff is going to open up everything for us,' Wilson said. 'By the time we get into the season hopefully we're rolling.' Advertisement That point about converting from short distances is important because, again, the Jets rarely ran the ball from short distances last season despite having the personnel (namely running back Braelon Allen) to do so. The Jets had the fewest rushing attempts with two yards or fewer to a first down (44) in the NFL — while the Lions ranked eighth. And that gets to the other most important reason to believe in the Jets' ability to run the ball in 2025: The running back room. Since the early days of Glenn's tenure, he's emphasized that this won't be a one-back offense — he views the trio of Hall, Allen and Isaiah Davis as a three-headed monster, all three with varying skillsets. He comes from Detroit, where the Lions first split carries between D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams and then, more effectively, between Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. The skillsets, to a degree, line up in comparison to the Jets' running back room — Hall should play the role of Gibbs, an explosive runner and threat in the passing game. Hackett famously admitted late in the 2023 season that he didn't realize Hall could be an effective pass-catcher until halfway through the season. Glenn won't be making that mistake. Hall has the most receiving yards (1,074) and third-most receiving touchdowns (seven) among all running backs over the last two years. 'We are going to open his game up quite a bit,' Glenn said. 'He's the type of guy that you can split out wide and let him run the route tree, because he can run it like a receiver. And I like that matchup with him against a safety or a linebacker.' In this comparison, Allen can be the Montgomery type — a big, strong, downhill runner that should thrive in the trenches. Allen has been a standout in camp and looks more explosive than he did as a 20-year-old rookie. He ran for 334 yards, two touchdowns and only averaged 3.6 yards per carry last year, though the Jets got away from him as the season progressed — he had more than six carries in a game only twice after Week 8. 'Braelon is a 240-pound man that's always falling forward,' Glenn said. 'Listen, that's where he's going to make his money. I'm not just saying in short yardage, those downhill runs, it's going to weigh on defensive players, and when you continue to do that, you just create something as far as a team, as far as an identity, that this league will take notice of, and I'm looking forward to that.' The Jets have the ability — especially in light of a potentially thin receiving corps — to deploy Allen and Hall on the field at the same time too. Even if they don't, their skillsets are varied enough that, at their best, they can keep the defense off balance. It's not unike Gibbs and Montgomery, who weren't often on the field at the same time but still balanced each other out. Advertisement 'That's two different dynamics that you have to get ready for when it comes to a defense getting ready to play against those guys,' Glenn said. 'So, as a guy that has been coaching on defense for the most part, I know the issues that come with that and being able to game plan when this guy comes in the game or when this other guy comes in the game.' The difference between this backfield and the one in Detroit: The Jets feel like they have a third starting-caliber running back in Isaiah Davis, who flashed as a fifth-round rookie last year. Davis averaged 5.8 yards per carry, albeit on limited touches (30 rushes). 'He brings everything,' Glenn said. 'Pass protection, his ability to run, his route tree, he's a smart player, he's tough, he's aggressive. He's a valuable piece of what we're trying to do.' And if anyone wants to believe in the Jets' ability to be one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, the conversation includes Fields. Even after dealing with his toe injury (the one that caused an unnecessary stir), Fields has shown a level of mobility the Jets haven't really had at quarterback … ever? During Saturday's scrimmage, Fields scored an easy touchdown on a zone-read on one play, and scrambled for a long touchdown on another when he spotted a hole in the defense after a dropback. Finally, the Jets should not only have a running game to reckon with — they have one that will be their identity. (Photo of Breece Hall: John Jones / Imagn Images)
