Tag: Jim Irsay

Report: Jim Irsay declined a ‘clear the air’ meeting with Carson Wentz

Colts owner Jim Irsay reportedly declined a ‘clear the air’ meeting with Carson Wentz before the trade.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay made his mind up about quarterback Carson Wentz long before Wednesday’s blockbuster trade with the Washington Commanders took place.

As the trade buzz started to heat up a month ago, Wentz reportedly reached out to Irsay for a meeting in hopes of clearing the air. According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, Irsay declined that meeting.

The quarterback, who learned he was on shaky ground with the organization over the last month, reached out to Irsay in hopes of setting up a meeting to “clear the air,” a source said. But Irsay declined the meeting.

Irsay’s frustration with Wentz was well documented. Early in the season, Irsay vented those frustrations about his quarterbacks refusal to get the vaccine. As the Colts were one of the least-vaccinated teams in the NFL, Irsay felt the quarterback had a duty to do all he could to be available.

Wentz never missed a game due to COVID-19. He did come close, though, after testing positive in Week 17. He was bailed out when the NFL changed its quarantine policy from 10 days to five for unvaccinated players. It gave Wentz enough time to make the start against the Las Vegas Raiders—a game they lost at home.

It’s clear Irsay was frustrated with Wentz’s lack of leadership skills and Keefer reported that some inside the Colts’ building felt anyone else at quarterback would have prevented a late-season collapse.

What was missing, some within the team believe, was the type of direction the Colts got from the quarterback position in recent years, namely with Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers and even Jacoby Brissett, who despite struggling late in the 2019 season remained a deeply respected voice within the locker room.

In other words, with a QB in place besides Wentz, some believe, the gutting late-season collapse the Colts suffered would have never happened.

Wentz’s performance over the final month of the season was enough in itself for the Colts to move on. But Keefer reported that the team felt there were leadership traits Wentz lacked.

That included “a lack of leadership, a resistance to hard coaching and a reckless style of play, which had a role in several close losses this year.”

It seems the Colts were intent on moving on from Wentz regardless and the fact that they did so without a clear backup plan in place is telling enough.

But Irsay’s frustrations with Wentz were clear–to the point where there was nothing the quarterback could do to salvage his time in the Circle City.

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Carson Wentz rumors: Colts could trade or release former No. 2 overall pick

It’s very clear that the #Eagles were the winners of the deal that sent Carson #Wentz to the #Colts and according to #ESPN’s Chris #Mortensen the embattled quarterback will ‘probably be traded or released’ before March 18

Carson Wentz could be headed for his third team in two years after ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that the former No. 2 overall pick will likely be released or cut by March 18.

The Colts are already on the books for the $15 million in guarantees, but if they trade or release Wentz before March 18, they would save $13.3 million against the salary cap, while avoiding having to pay a $6.3 million bonus.

If Wentz is on the team post-March 18, then his $22 million base salary is fully guaranteed.

The move would come almost a year after the Colts agreed to acquire Wentz from Philadelphia in exchange for a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick — which became a first-round pick based on a snap count threshold reached.

Wentz is now having to reassess his future after imploding down the stretch, including an ugly loss in the season finale to the Jaguars.

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Colts’ Jim Irsay makes more comments about importance of QB play

Colts’ Jim Irsay hasn’t been shy about commenting how important the QB position is for playoff teams.

Indianapolis Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay hasn’t been shy this offseason about making comments toward what needs to be done in order for the team to return to the playoffs.

While his comments and tweets haven’t singled out a particular player, many can assume some of his frustrations come with the collapse of quarterback Carson Wentz over the final month of the season.

His latest comments came after the wild weekend of playoff football in the divisional round, which showcased the supreme talent of quarterback play throughout the league.

In short, Irsay noted that playoff teams need elite quarterback play with an offense that can score 30 points.

The Colts didn’t make comments that publicly supported Wentz as the future of the quarterback position for the team. They didn’t disagree with that notion, either. But considering the lack of support from Frank Reich—someone who’s supported Wentz his entire career—it was pretty loud silence.

Irsay told The Athletic last week that his comments this offseason haven’t been a direct hit on Wentz. He said if it was, we would know it without hesitation.

“It wasn’t directed at him,” Irsay said via Zak Keefer. “If I was directing it at him, I would’ve named him … I don’t worry about his feelings. If I was directing it at Carson, I would have told Carson face-to-face. If anyone wants to know where I stand, they can come ask me. I don’t deal with kid gloves in this league, not at this level. If I’m directing something at you, believe me, you’re going to know it because it’s gonna be one-on-one and I’m going to be looking at you face-to-face.”

We are still in wait-and-see mode when it comes to the Wentz situation. He could very well return for another campaign, especially considering the money that the Colts would owe him if his roster bonus is triggered.

But it’s clear Irsay is venting some frustrations this offseason about not having a quarterback with the ability to consistently lead the offense.

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Everything we know about Carson Wentz’s future with Colts

From salary-cap implications to potential replacements, here’s everything we know about Carson Wentz’s future with the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts have a big offseason awaiting them and with that comes a massive decision on what to do with quarterback Carson Wentz.

The 29-year-old quarterback was extremely volatile throughout the 2021 season. Even on a per-play basis, we never truly knew which player the Colts were getting. At some points, it could be argued that not even Wentz himself knew what to expect on any given play.

Between his volatile play and the emergence of Jonathan Taylor as the league’s best running back, the Colts didn’t need to lean on Wentz in crucial moments. Some would even argue the Colts shied away from doing so when given the choice.

But the final four weeks of the season were the most indicative of the kind of player the Colts had. Outside of the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16 (which was very good), Wentz looked more and more like his 2020 self.

It was all capped off with the ugly and inexcusable performance in a must-win game against the worst team in the NFL during Week 18. All Wentz had to do was lead the offense against the team holding the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft.

What transpired was an epic-level choke job. The 2004 New York Yankees up 3-0 in the ALCS. The Falcons up 28-3 in the Super Bowl. All these teams had to do was not beat themselves. But it happened.

Now, we’re left wondering what the Colts are going to do with their quarterback. They are in the worst-case scenario: losing a first-round pick while also missing out on the playoffs.

So with Wentz’s late-season collapse and future now in question, here’s a look at everything you need to know about the situation entering the 2022 offseason:

Colts’ Jim Irsay gives stern message: ‘The buck stops with me’

Colts owner Jim Irsay gave a stern statement about the state of the franchise.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has plenty of thoughts on the direction of the team following what turned out to be an extremely disappointing ending to the 2021 season.

Irsay held a meeting with general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Frank Reich immediately after the shocking loss to the Jaguars that ended the season.

Even after that demanding meeting, Irsay felt it was necessary to put a message out to the fanbase.

“When we started 0-3, we knew the rest of this season would be an uphill climb. We all were hopeful we could dig our way out of the hole and reach the playoffs, and we should have. But we ended our season in perhaps the worst way possible and missed our chance to compete for history.

The buck stops with me, and this experience makes me even more determined to bring Indiana a contending team. We are already working toward the future, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to put us in a position to win next year and for years to come.

As always, thank you for your support of the Colts in 2021. This was a rough way to end our year, but this bad taste will fuel and motivate us even more for next season. I promise you there are some exciting days to come.

Sincerely,
Jim Irsay
Owner & CEO”

It’s clear that Irsay is emphatic about changing some things around this offseason. He made that abundantly clear in talking to Fox59 about changes needing to be made.

Seeing as Reich and Ballard are still with the team—as expected—it will be interesting to see what kind of changes are made.

Maybe it comes with the quarterback position after Reich declined to commit to Carson Wentz in 2022. Maybe there’s a bit of a shake-up with the coaching staff. Maybe there will be a bit more spending in free agency as a change in philosophy from the last five offseasons.

The entire offseason is still ahead of us so we will be speculating for a while but it will be interesting to see what kind of changes will be made in the coming months.

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Colts’ Jim Irsay: ‘Changes need to be made’

Colts owner Jim Irsay wasn’t shy about admitting the need for change this offseason.

The Indianapolis Colts have a big offseason ahead of them and owner Jim Irsay isn’t being coy about what he believes needs to happen in the coming months.

Though it isn’t standard procedure to hold a year-end meeting with the general manager and head coach immediately following the final game, Irsay felt it was necessary after the team’s stunning loss to the Jaguars in Week 18.

He wanted to meet with general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Frank Reich in order to get the offseason started on the right foot even though they were just hours removed from arguably the worst loss in franchise history.

Irsay made another thing clear in the meeting: changes need to be made.

“One thing that’s clear is changes need to be made,’’ Irsay told Fox59 on Monday evening. “And they will be made. We also realize we have to do it cautiously and with a thorough evaluation and full discussion in a calm environment. It’s not an emotional thing at all. It’s about evaluating the whole program and clearly changes need to be made.’’

After Reich’s press conference on Monday, it’s pretty clear that neither he nor Ballard will be leaving this offseason. So with that in mind, the changes are likely coming in regards to players and coaches.

The biggest question will be around quarterback Carson Wentz, whom Reich was non-committal toward in his presser on Monday. He’s still under contract for three years with a potential out after 2022. But if Irsay is emphatic enough with his desire, the Colts may be forced to move on from him.

This is especially true when considering Wentz’s 2021 season was comparable to Jacoby Brissett’s 2019 season—with the addition of a few more touchdown passes.

The Wentz situation will be a big deal this offseason, especially considering how much Reich had to say in that decision. But if Irsay feels a big change is needed at quarterback, the chances of this being a one-and-done situation grow exponentially.

It’s still too early to give an educated guess on what the offseason holds for the Colts, but Irsay is making one thing clear.

We should expect changes during the 2022 offseason.

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Jim Irsay held ‘demanding’ meeting with Frank Reich, Chris Ballard

Colts HC Frank Reich said Jim Irsay held a ‘demanding’ meeting following the sudden end to the 2021 season.

Following the stunning and disappointing end of the 2021 season, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay held a meeting with head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard.

During his year-end press conference with the media on Monday, Reich didn’t go into detail about the finer points of the meeting. However, he did shine a small light on what went down between the three leaders of the Colts organization.

“Yeah, I did speak with Mr. Irsay [Sunday] night. Actually, when we got back he wanted to meet with Chris (Ballard) and I. So, we came back over here to the building last night and met with Mr. Irsay for a couple hours just reflecting on the game, on the season,” Reich said Monday. “He’s got a very unique perspective. I love his approach and how demanding and holding us all accountable, but also showing support as an owner that he wants to do whatever it takes to get our organization to the top, to get our team to the top. It was a good conversation, a supportive conversation, but also demanding and wanting answers and wanting to hold us accountable.”

It would shock no one if Irsay was visibly upset about the way the season ended. The embarrassing loss to a 2-14 team that also owns the No. 1 overall pick will be a stain on the organization for years to come. All the Colts had to do was beat the worst team in the NFL. Even so, they fell short.

With all of that said, though, it’s pretty clear that Reich’s opinions are still valued by Irsay. Even with plenty of voices on Twitter demanding a change at head coach, Reich isn’t going anywhere.

Reich left the meeting with a feeling that they can correct the ship this offseason and improve upon what turned out to be an incredibly disappointing campaign.

“Obviously, I know you’re not asking me to go into the details because you know that wouldn’t be appropriate, but I always walk out of there saying, that’s a good insight. That’s a good insight. I just learned something from that, it’s just giving me a different perspective on something. That’s without fail. That happens every time we go back there,” Reich said of the meeting. “So, Chris (Ballard) and I walked out of there with a resolve like we’re going to get better. We walked out of there saying we got a lot of the right pieces in place. A lot of the right pieces in place. My goodness. I love our players, respect our players and if I’m a Colts fan, I’m fired up. I’m incredibly disappointed about how this season ended but I understand that there’s some makings here of a very good football team.”

Changes are likely coming this offseason. Even though Reich and many of the main pieces are firmly entrenched, it wouldn’t be a shock if certain changes will be made to both the coaching staff and personnel in some way.

There are a lot of questions the Colts face this offseason and some of them will take time to answer.

But it’s pretty clear that Reich will be around as the Colts try to get the team moving back in the right direction after an unprecedented collapse to end the season.

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Frustrated Jim Irsay challenges unvaccinated Carson Wentz to stay healthy

Frustrated Colts owner Jim Irsay challenges unvaccinated QB Carson Wentz to stay healthy.

The start to the 2021 season has not been easy for the Indianapolis Colts and their new starting quarterback in Carson Wentz.

While Wentz has played well on the field in his two games, there have been major questions about his availability every week since the start of training camp. From having foot surgery to a stint on the COVID-19 list and now dealing with two ankle sprains, the availability of the starting quarterback is constantly in question.

It appears to be taking a slight toll on owner Jim Irsay, who challenged his unvaccinated quarterback to stay healthy—something that Wentz has struggled with in recent seasons.

“I know how hard he’s worked. I know he’s respected in the locker room, and all those sorts of things. But, you know, he has to stay healthy. You know, no one’s hiding behind the M.O. of the past. That was there, and you know since we, you know, came here and going through the months we’ve been through, there’s been difficulties,” Irsay said Saturday night in Nashville.

The injury history was known for the Colts when they traded for Wentz this offseason. That narrative has stuck true since the start of training camp. It also doesn’t help that the Colts have allowed 6.0 sacks and 21 quarterback hits through the first two games.

Wentz had to undergo foot surgery just a few days into camp. That kept him off the field for the entire preseason. Almost immediately upon his quick recovery from foot surgery, Wentz was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list due to being a close contact. He missed an entire week of practice before the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. That wouldn’t have been the case if he was vaccinated.

Regardless of your stance on the vaccination, there is no denying Wentz runs the risk of missing time even if he doesn’t test positive. As an unvaccinated player, close contacts must quarantine for five days. Vaccinated players do not.

Those frustrations of possibly missing their starting quarterback due to the league’s protocols were vented by Irsay on Saturday night.

“And it also makes it difficult if you’re not vaccinated, you know, because it makes it harder to depend on someone if they’re not vaccinated,” Irsay said. “So they have freedom of choice and we understand that. But, you know, we — we’re hoping he can come back and play well. I think he’ll be a game-time decision.”

Wentz somewhat addressed his decision to not get vaccinated, simply saying it was a personal choice.

“Yeah, trust me, it is a personal decision,” Wentz told reporters before the season. “I’m not going to go into depth on why but I will say it’s a personal decision for me and my family. I respect everybody else’s decision and I just ask that everybody does the same for me.”

Wentz clearly has a solid standing in the locker room. His toughness to play through injury is admirable, and his teammates voted him to be one of the team captains.

But staying healthy and available is crucial for Wentz to change the narrative that surrounded him during what was a disastrous 2020 season.

Now, after an 0-2 start, dealing with several injuries and a stint on the COVID-19 list, Irsay is challenging his new quarterback to be available for the team that spent two draft picks in order to acquire him.

We’ll see what the future holds for the Colts this season, but it certainly is interesting to see Irsay give an out-of-character public challenge to his starting quarterback.

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Jim Irsay says Colts are over 50% vaccination rate

Colts owner Jim Irsay says the team is over the 50% vaccination mark.

Over the last month, two separate reports included the Indianapolis Colts as one of the teams with the lowest vaccination rates in the league, but owner Jim Irsay said Wednesday that those numbers are on the rise.

Both of those earlier reports had the Colts as one of just a few teams under a 50% vaccination rate. Irsay told reporters over Zoom that the team has had more players get vaccinated and that they are above that 50% mark.

“We’re over 50% and headed hopefully towards 100%,” Irsay said. “I just encourage all of our guys to get vaccinated. It’s the right thing to do, and we’re trending in that direction.’’

While 14 teams are over the 85% mark when it comes to vaccinated players, the Colts could be at a competitive disadvantage if their numbers don’t rise significantly.

The latest memo from the NFL caused a stir given the new rules pertaining to outbreaks. If a team has an outbreak and the game cannot be played, the team with the outbreak forfeits. On top of that, no player on either side will be getting a game check if that happens.

You can see why that would cause an issue in the locker room. Players don’t mess around when it comes to their game checks.

“Getting vaccinated is the right thing to do, and it’s crazy right now to see people dying in hospitals because they wouldn’t get vaccinated,” Irsay said. “And of course the internet spreads all sorts of crazy rumors, and people come up with unfounded theories that have no scientific data, no medical data to back it up. It’s an aspect of the society we live in.’’

Irsay still believes it’s a personal choice to get vaccinated but one that he’s fully behind.

“It’s one of those things where logic has it. You get vaccinated,’’ Irsay said. “It’s the best choice. All choices have risks, there’s no question, and you respect the personal choice that people have out there for their health.”

It will be interesting what the numbers will look like closer to the season, but it’s clear Irsay wants his team to get vaccinated.

Colts’ Jim Irsay bought Elton John’s piano for $915,000

Jim Irsay added another item to his collection.

Add another relic to the collection of memorabilia for Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who bought Elton John’s touring piano at an auction for $915,000.

ESPN’s Mike Wells reported that Irsay bought the Steinway & Sons Model D Grand Piano by Heritage Auctions on Saturday in Dallas. Irsay himself didn’t waste any time confirming it.

Wells also reported that the piano was in use for nearly two decades from 1974-1993 by Elton John and had an inscription “Enjoy this as much as I have, Elton John” on the frame.

“Irsay also has handwritten lyrics to “With God on Our Side” from Bob Dylan, a drum head used and signed by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, the piano used by [John] Lennon to compose songs for “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band,” a drum kit from the Beatles’ Ringo Starr, a tomato soup wrapper signed by Andy Warhol and the script from the movie “Jerry Maguire,” wrote Wells of Irsay’s collection.

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