Pat McAfee pens emotional tribute to Jim Irsay after passing

Pat McAfee was among the countless former Indianapolis Colts players who shared their fond memories of CEO and owner Jim Irsay on Wednesday. Irsay sadly passed away at the age of 65, leaving behind a lasting legacy that included a Super Bowl win.

McAfee took to X, formerly Twitter, where he left a lengthy tribute to his Irsay, for whom he played all eight of his seasons. McAfee shared personal stories of how Irsay impacted him, including when he decided to retire from the NFL.

This is devastating..

Jim had friendships with a lot of his former players.. I was lucky to be one of them.

Playing for a team that Mr Irsay ran was an honor. He was funny, brilliant, unique, and somehow still wildly relatable for a man who became the sole owner of an NFL team… https://t.co/9dOUFziJJe pic.twitter.com/sVOT49ne3D

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 22, 2025

“This is devastating,” McAfee wrote. “Jim had friendships with a lot of his former players.. I was lucky to be one of them. Playing for a team that Mr Irsay ran was an honor. He was funny, brilliant, unique, and somehow still wildly relatable for a man who became the sole owner of an NFL team at the age of 37.. and before that, hired as the youngest general manager in the history of the league as a 24 year old.

“When I decided to retire.. he and I had a 2.5 hour conversation in his office,” McAfee wrote. “…He tried to stop me for a few minutes.. even offered to renegotiate my contract.. and then once he realized my decision was made.. the convo turned into him trying to give me as much game as possible about running a business and maintaining authenticity. He gave me quotes and words to live by.. told me stories of mistakes he and others had made and he promised he would do anything he could to help me in my venture.”

Irsay began his affiliation with the Colts in 1972, when his father, Robert Irsay, purchased the team. At that time, the Colts were in Baltimore, and the younger Irsay worked in every department. In 1984, Jim Irsay became the Colts’ general manager when the team moved to Indianapolis. He assumed day-to-day operations in 1995 when his father suffered a stroke. In 1997, Irsay became the owner at 37 after his father died.

McAfee earned two Pro Bowl appearances during his time in Indianapolis under Irsay. The Colts also made it to the Super Bowl during his rookie season in 2009 but ended up losing.

After his retirement, McAfee got into media and now hosts The Pat McAfee Show for ESPN. He revealed how his relationship with Irsay stayed strong even after his playing days and recalled the times that he had him on the show.

“Since that day.. Jim has done everything he can to help me succeed,” McAfee continued. “He’d join our show anytime I asked, no matter where he was in the world.. He’d send me motivational messages when he heard I was going thru something.. he’d forward articles that he’d come across that he thought I should read.. He’d answer any question I had about decisions I had to make.

“…Jim was a real one.. and we will all miss the shit out of him. I send my positive prayers and vibes to his daughters, his grandkids, his loved ones, his staff, and everybody who has been working with Jim for the last 40 years. Thank you for EVERYTHING big man.. You were a damn legend. Rest Easy, brother.”