Tag: Jim Irsay

Jim Irsay: Teams contacting Andrew Luck violate tampering rules

Colts owner Jim Irsay: Teams contacting Andrew Luck violate tampering rules

Years after his retirement, former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is still making headlines.

Despite having been retired going on four years, Luck’s name still pops up now and again. The latest bit of news came from an ESPN report that claimed the Washington Commanders contacted Luck during their search for a quarterback last offseason.

That raised a red flag for Colts owner Jim Irsay, considering Luck is still technically under contract with the team despite being on the retired list. According to NFL rules, teams cannot contact players (or representatives) under contract with another team.

When Luck retired, his contract didn’t simply run out. It was tolled in accordance with Appendix A of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Unless this contract specifically provides otherwise, if Player becomes a member of the Armed Forces of the United States or any other country, or retires from professional football as an active player, or otherwise fails or refuses to perform his services under this contract, then this contract will be tolled between the date of Player’s induction into the Armed Forces, or his retirement, or his failure or refusal to perform, and the later date of his return to professional football. During the period this contract is tolled, Player will not be entitled to any compensation or benefits. On Player’s return to professional football, the term of this contract will be extended for a period of time equal to the number of seasons (to the nearest multiple of one) remaining at the time the contract was tolled. The right of renewal, if any, contained in this contract will remain in effect until the end of any such extended term.

The Colts still hold the rights to Luck’s contract and because he’s unlikely to come back, it isn’t clear how much longer they will hold those rights. Still, it would technically be tampering if a team reached out to Luck last offseason.

We’ve seen the league come down hard on teams for tampering. The Miami Dolphins are the most recent case, and they lost their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

We’ll see if anything comes of it, but this may be something to monitor over the offseason.

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Jim Irsay vs. the Commanders takes another turn

The Colts owner sent out a tweet Sunday night that had the NFL world buzzing.

One of the more interesting and underrated NFL feuds over the last six months is Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay vs. Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder.

It all began when Irsay was the first owner on record to question if the league should potentially remove Snyder as owner.

“I believe there is merit to removing him as owner,” Irsay told reporters at October’s owners meetings.

The Commanders weren’t happy and responded.

In subsequent interviews, Irsay doubled down on his stance. Shortly after Irsay’s comments, the two teams met on the field in Indianapolis, with Snyder’s Commanders prevailing with a 17-16 win.

Since then, things have been quiet on the Irsay front regarding Snyder, partly because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn’t want owners commenting negatively toward Snyder during his attempts to sell the Commanders.

Then there was the strange situation from the NFL owners meetings in March where a known associate of Snyder was caught recording Irsay when he spoke to the media.

On Sunday night, one tweet from Irsay possibly reignited the feud.

Irsay is referring to an ESPN article from John Keim on Washington quarterback Sam Howell. One passage from Howell’s article was of particular interest to Irsay.

Even so, they didn’t feel the same urgency they did last offseason, when they called every team that might have a quarterback available. They even phoned about retired Andrew Luck, just in case.

Luck is the retired Colts quarterback who stepped away from the NFL on Aug. 24, 2019, after seven NFL seasons at the age of 29. When Luck retired, the Colts still held his rights. So, in Washington’s desperation to find a quarterback in 2022, someone from the team allegedly contacted Luck — or the Colts — we aren’t clear who, to see if he was interested in a return to the NFL.

Remember when we were told the Commanders had called every NFL team about potential quarterback availability?

The key here is, did the Commanders contact Luck or the Colts about Luck? There’s a huge difference.

If Washington did contact Luck, the penalty could be severe. The Miami Dolphins were stripped of a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, a third-round pick in 2024, a $1.5 million fine — and suspension — for owner Stephen Ross and other penalties for allegedly tampering with Tom Brady and the agent for head coach Sean Payton who was under contract with the Saints.

Will the Commanders have a response?

Snyder reached a preliminary agreement to sell the franchise to Josh Harris recently, but the deal is not complete.

 

Colts ‘probably’ would’ve taken Anthony Richardson at No. 1 overall

If the Colts had the top pick, the result may have been the same.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay answered a question that many of us had been wondering ever since the team made the selection of quarterback Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick.

With Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud off the board, it seemed like the easy choice for the Colts to make. But what if the Colts had their pick of the litter at the No. 1 overall spot?

Irsay told the media Saturday that Richardson probably would have been the choice regardless.

“We would’ve probably taken Anthony,” Irsay said when asked about that hypothetical situation.

It’s just another reason why Richardson has been the target all along for the Colts. With that said, Irsay did mention that the team would have likely gone with Kentucky’s Will Levis if Richardson wasn’t there. Levis wound up falling to the second round, eventually getting scooped up by the division-rival Tennessee Titans at No. 33 overall.

One of the biggest knocks on Richardson’s profile is his lack of experience. With just 13 starts at the collegiate level, Richardson needs to get reps. He neds to go through the growing pains on the field.

It’s an effort that Irsay will be pushing for even if the decision ultimately is up to new head coach Shane Steichen.

“You get better by playing,” Irsay said. “You know, that’s the biggest benefit from it. And at the same time, I have to say, our fans have to have patience because it’s hard being a rookie quarterback. It really is.”

Whether that will be Week 1 or halfway through the season isn’t clear, but we will see Richardson at some point during his rookie campaign.

The Colts have to feel pretty excited about the direction of the franchise and the potential Richardson brings along with him.

Now, it’s time to put the work in and get the No. 4 overall pick to reach that ceiling of an elite quarterback.

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Jim Irsay asks if Colts should take Will Levis after drafting Anthony Richardson

Jim Irsay woke up in a trolling mood on Friday.

The Indianapolis Colts used the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft to select quarterback Anthony Richardson, but owner Jim Irsay posed a wild question about potentially drafting another quarterback prospect in the second round.

With Kentucky’s Will Levis falling out of the first round for unknown reasons, Irsay couldn’t help but put his troll hat on, tweeting the fanbase and asking them if the team should draft Levis at No. 35 overall.

Irsay committed to the bit even more, drawing comparisons to the tandem of Joe Montana and Steve Young.

Irsay must be feeling pretty good about his quarterback situation to be making jokes like this. The Colts took Richardson with the idea of building the offense around him so, no, we shouldn’t take this as a serious question.

While the pre-draft process had the Colts facing a decision between Richardson and Levis for the No. 4 overall pick, the front office had their sights set on the former the entire time.

Why Levis fell out of the first round isn’t totally clear, but it’s likely a team will try to trade up for him at the top of the second round. Maybe Irsay is trying to drum up some trade interest so the Colts can move back.

Or maybe he’s just in a good mood because the Colts landed an exciting prospect in Richardson on Thursday night.

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Colts owner Jim Irsay shows his team’s NFL draft hand

Was Irsay genuinely showing his hand or attempting some sleight of hand?

Jim Irsay is consistently one of the most visible and public-facing NFL owners. The Colts head honcho is also quite emotionally invested in his team as an involved party.

Earlier this offseason, Irsay made it clear he expects his franchise will select a quarterback with its first-round draft pick. Irsay showed the same hand in a provocative tweet on Sunday.

Irsay declared,

“For the ’23 draft, we have many options. With the #4 pick, we could stay put and take a QB—-or trade up and take a QB—-OR trade down and MAYBE take a QB—-Or NOT🙂
All options on the table, but we like our position and are very excited. Fire up! 🏈”

The tweet makes one wonder, is Irsay showing his hand, or is this some smoky sleight of hand? We’ll find out in 10 days.

7 burning questions Colts face entering 2023 NFL draft

Burning questions facing the Colts entering the draft.

The Indianapolis Colts have many needs to address as they count the days until the 2023 NFL Draft.

Owner Jim Irsay, general manager Chris Ballard, and the front office staff will look to answer some of the franchise’s biggest questions.

One question the team must answer, among others: Are we in a state of rebuilding or retooling? Once that question is answered, every decision will align with that strategy and dictate the franchise’s path.

Here are seven burning questions the Colts face entering the draft:

Jim Irsay leaving draft decision up to Chris Ballard, Shane Steichen

Jim Irsay giving Colts GM Chris Ballard and HC Shane Steichen final say on the No. 4 pick.

The Indianapolis Colts face a major decision when it comes to the use of their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and it seems that decision will be made by general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen.

In a typical offseason, that wouldn’t really be in question and this wouldn’t be a newsworthy topic of discussion. But this isn’t a typical offseason for the Colts.

They hired Steichen following an exhaustive head coach search that spanned 21 total interviews and roughly 35 days. They’ve parted ways with some key veterans from the 2022 season and appear primed to select a quarterback on the first night of the draft.

Whether they will pull the trigger on a quarterback prospect is a decision that will be left up to Ballard and Steichen as owner Jim Irsay takes more of a back seat.

“I know they will line up together, there’s no question, and I’ll line up with their thinking unless something was very unusual,” Irsay told reporters at the NFL owners’ meeting in Arizona this week.

Following the firing of former head coach Frank Reich, it appeared Ballard may have been next on the chopping block. During a 2022 season that saw Irsay become far more involved in the decision-making process, it wasn’t clear how solid Ballard’s standing with the team was.

Even though Irsay didn’t give an absolute vote of confidence for Ballard’s future, he refuted the notion that the seventh-year general manager was on a hotter seat than expected.

“Everyone has to be successful to keep their job, if you’re a general manager or head coach,” Irsay told reporters. “I really feel that he’s not on some quick, hot seat. But the expectations are there.”

Make no mistake, Ballard’s job is far from secure beyond the 2023 season. This upcoming campaign is likely to be the one that makes or breaks his tenure with the organization.

And it all likely comes down to the decision he makes at No. 4 overall.

With C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young currently expected to come off the board with the first two picks in the draft, the Colts may be looking at a decision between quarterback prospects Anthony Richardson and Will Levis.

Other dark horse candidates include Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez, Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson. None of those prospects are expected to be selected by the Colts, but those would be the alternatives to taking a quarterback—as well as trading back.

We still have a month left of speculation and predicting what the Colts will do with the No. 4 overall pick, but it appears Irsay is trusting his new tandem to make the right one.

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Trade or draft? Why Colts’ quarterback decision isn’t easy

With just a month until the draft, the Colts are mulling a tough decision at the QB position.

Since Shane Steichen was hired on Feb. 14, the Indianapolis Colts have looked to the future. Questions about staff, coaching philosophy, and what the makeup of the team will be have loomed large.

Among the questions the team has mulled over includes what to do at the quarterback position. If the team has been listening to fans, they’ll notice a common theme: angst.

Fans are frustrated and growing restless by the day because, like leadership, they want more for their beloved franchise.

At the end of the season, general manager Chris Ballard said the quiet parts out loud, lamenting about failing the organization and needing to “get it right.”

But what does “right” look like? Should the team attempt to trade for a highly intriguing veteran in Lamar Jackson, or should they take a chance in the 2023 NFL draft with several prospects expected to be available when the team picks at No. 4 overall?

The answer is not easy.

Ballard understands that whatever decision he lays at the feet of owner Jim Irsay will be met with a microscope.

Undertaking another veteran quarterback means the team would likely have to be convinced that the quarterback can elevate the team tremendously and is worth the cost of acquiring him.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson presents an intriguing choice.

The quarterback is at a crossroads with the Ravens over his perceived value and has asked for a trade, seemingly making him available for quarterback-needy teams like the Colts. At a minimum, the Colts would need to give up two first-round draft picks and present a contract that the Ravens are not likely to match, which could include guarantees of over $130 million.

If the team opts not to trade for the savvy veteran, they can turn their eyes to the 2023 draft where they have an opportunity to draft a young franchise quarterback who they can build around.

Drafting a quarterback means he won’t have the proven record, knowledge, or quite the skillset Jackson has, but he will have potential and upside. Also, it’s worth mentioning that such a choice is much more cost-friendly to the team moving forward.

What will the Colts do?

The answer will largely remain unknown for the next several weeks, but leadership has given hints about their thinking and why at the very least, this will continue to be an ongoing process.

On Monday, when asked about Lamar Jackson, Ballard said: “Any time at that position when you got a chance to acquire a guy, you got to do your work on it to see if it’s doable. Sometimes it is, sometimes it’s not.”

Owner Jim Irsay shared that his desire to get younger has existed since the days of Phillip Rivers. He also said that while he is not ruling out Jackson, cap implications and draft picks decide to pursue that much more challenging.

From these insights, Ballard and Irsay will do their homework on Jackson, but something fans should keep in mind: Ballard has yet to have the opportunity to draft a quarterback with the intent for that player to start and for the franchise to build around him.

With an owner wanting to get younger so that his team can formidably compete with the heavyweights of the NFL, Ballard likely will leave no stone unturned to bring that vision to life.

He recently shared some revealing thoughts for fans to understand where his mind is.

“Everybody talks about the top four, but there are some more guys out there…I think history has shown here, especially in the last few years, with Jalen (Hurts) being one and Brock Purdy coming in and playing well; they come at every level. We’ll do our work on every one of them, and…we’ll try to get one that we like and fits us, and we think we can win with.”

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The Colts and Jim Irsay will have deep regrets if they screw up at QB again

The Colts have reached the QB point of no return.

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Here’s Robert Zeglinski.

I know Jim Irsay likes to think the Indianapolis Colts are still a marquee franchise, but nothing could be further from the truth.

It’s thanks to their crater under center.

Ever since Andrew Luck retired in 2019, the Colts have been an aimless ship, sailing around rough waters. They tried to correct course by acquiring late-stage Phillip Rivers, perennial disappointment Carson Wentz, and the washed-up Matt Ryan. You can guess how that went for them.

One playoff berth. Thirty-one wins in four years. The picture of uninspiring and middling mediocrity. This is what happens when you take the easy way out. This is what happens when you barely even try.

Irsay and general manager Chris Ballard and Co. no longer have such a “luxury.” But they still seem content to mess around.

News of Lamar Jackson’s trade request sparked reflective comments from the Colts’ enigmatic owner. After all, why wouldn’t Indianapolis be interested in a 26-year-old former MVP who has proven he can carry an offense by himself? The fit almost makes too much sense.

Get it done, Colts! Make yourself a relevant franchise again! What are you waiting for? Go, go, go!

Oh, right, Irsay simply doesn’t want to hand out a lucrative, fully guaranteed contract. Ah, OK, well, I hope you like perennial journeyman Teddy Bridgewater. That sound you hear is a grand piano dropping on the head of whatever future the Colts still think they have.

Then there’s the matter of the upcoming draft.

Theoretically, Indianapolis is still in a great spot with the No. 4 overall pick. Theoretically, they’ll get to select a quarterback. But after the Carolina Panthers’ trade up to No. 1 overall, they do not have their pick of the litter. The Colts have to wait their turn. And once the Arizona Cardinals are done wheeling and dealing, Indy might have everyone’s literal fourth choice.

Yet, somehow, the king of sitting on his hands — Ballard — is OK with this strategy. (Whispers) Ballard is in his seventh year as GM. Below you’ll find a carbon copy of a statement he’s said every year around this time.

Just swap out a few words and rinse, repeat.

I don’t know about you, but settling for leftovers is not how you invest in the NFL’s most important position. It’s practically begging to be caught in a vicious cycle where you’re picking in the top five again within a matter of years once this quarterback crashes and burns.

But I suppose it’s the Colts’ way, isn’t it?

Waiting for that perfect moment to just … drop in your lap. That franchise quarterback who will change your fortunes for a decade or more falling out of the sky. It happened with No. 1 overall pick Peyton Manning. It essentially happened with the No. 1 overall pick Luck.

But those were rolls of the die you simply couldn’t count on being sustainable. The Colts happened to be the worst team in the league when two generational signal-callers were available. It was an incredible fortune.

Unless the Colts enjoy such unprecedented luck again, they better start taking a more proactive approach to quarterback. This year. Or else they quickly become one of football’s favorite laughingstocks.

They might already be there unless they do something about it.

Quick Hits: Nestor Cortes gets petty … Patrick Mahomes dislikes TNF change … and more. 

Jim Irsay wants young QB to lead Colts for ‘next 10 years’

‘We want the guy that can be there for the next 10 years.’ – Jim Irsay on Colts QB search.

The Indianapolis Colts are mulling their avenues to upgrade the quarterback position, but it appears owner Jim Irsay wants the organization to lean toward using the 2023 NFL draft.

While the debate about a potential Lamar Jackson trade has been raging, the widely expected outcome is that the Colts will use the No. 4 overall pick to select a quarterback prospect they believe can be the face of the franchise.

If it were up to Irsay, that’s how the team would go about answering the question at the game’s most important position.

“We’re looking for the future guy, and we want the guy that can be there for the next 10 years. After Philip’s (Rivers) year, I wanted to go young. I was, ‘Let’s go young. Let’s grow our own. It’s time,'” Irsay said at the NFL owners meetings Monday. “It was great having Philip the one year and he was very successful and exceeded our expectations, but [we] knew it was a short-term thing. I really wanted to go young and drafting our own and finding our own that way.’’

While the Colts signed free-agent Gardner Minshew to a one-year deal, he’s expected to be the backup/bridge quarterback in the offense run by new head coach Shane Steichen.

The Colts certainly will have their options to draft a rookie quarterback. Even though Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young are expected to go with the first two picks in the draft, the Colts are guaranteed at least one of the top four prospects, which also includes Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis.

The potential of a Jackson trade isn’t something the Colts are dismissing out of hand, but Irsay seems to be leaning toward building through the draft.

“You’re always looking at salary cap, draft picks, which are like gold,’’ Irsay said. “Our belief and my belief is you build through the draft. The draft is your pipeline for success or failure.’’

The move for Jackson would be an expensive one. Even if the Colts made an offer that the Baltimore Ravens wouldn’t match, they’d have to give up two first-round picks in the process. That, or they could negotiate a sign-and-trade scenario, but that option may be more expensive from a draft capital standpoint.

Irsay mentioned that money and the contract are less of an issue. But when it comes to draft picks, he believes the foundation of the roster is built within the first three rounds.

“You have to have the quarterback, but to go where you want to go, everyone knows you need more than the quarterback,” Irsay said. “And you have to find the way to get that ‘more.’ And the best way to find it is in the top three (rounds) in the draft. Those first three rounds, you start giving away those gold nuggets . . . oh boy, I tell ya. Also, making sure salary cap-wise you can be in a [good] position.’’

The draft is just under a month away so we’re likely to have our answer by then, but it appears Irsay is leaning toward his team using the draft to make a splash at the quarterback position.

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