Jim Irsay is the horse’s ass of the Colts

Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images

Irsay has become the Colts’ biggest headache.

At a time where Colts fans should be excited about seeing a new era take shape, owner Jim Irsay seems hellbent on ruining everything.

Irsay injected himself into the running back pay discussion last week by taking to Twitter to essentially say “tough luck” to the players who want to see change in the NFL to better compensate their position amid the collapse of RB compensation. This was a monumentally stupid move considering Indianapolis has one of the best running back in the league in Jonathan Taylor, a player who has been locked into a cheap rookie contract since entering the league, and a central figure in the discussion of player compensation at the position.

Irsay, in an apparent move to smooth things over, invited Taylor into his private bus following practice on Saturday. Whatever transpired in that discussion exploded, because less than two hours of meeting the Colts’ owner the bombshell dropped.

In a matter of days the Colts went from being a team to watch, with a dynamic rookie quarterback, a solid offensive line, and one of the league’s best running backs — to everything collapsing, and it was all Jim Irsay’s fault. At this point a reasonably individual would take a step back, apologize, and try to make amends.

Irsay isn’t a reasonable individual.

Irsay double-downed on this idea that Taylor should be grateful he’s on the Colts — throwing in that he’s not important enough to be remembered. While there might be some accuracy in that ham-fisted way of thinking, it’s still profoundly disrespectful to a player who has more claim to being underpaid than any running back in the NFL. What began as a quest by a billionaire to save a few bucks has now morphed into the collapse of his franchise — and it just kept on getting worse.

Shortly after Taylor’s trade demand went public came a counter-salvo from the Colts which had an extremely pointed purpose: Ruin Taylor’s value and reputation.

The purpose of this report is transparently obvious. Irsay wanted to punish Taylor financially for having the audacity of asking that running backs be valued financially like their peers. Taylor didn’t know his place, in Irsay’s view, so now came the time to hurt him. Which NFL team would trade for a running back complaining of back problems? Who would be willing to sign him to a multi-year deal now? That’s what you get for asking for more money.

Remember: No one treats players as well as this franchise, right Mr. Irsay?

Under the veneer of Twitter giveaways and purchased musician friends, Irsay has always loved to give off the image of the every-man. The easy-going slick-haired rock grandpa shaking up the establishment — when in reality he is the establishment. An untalented nepo-baby, Irsay loves to preach this idea of family, humility, and hard work. Just make sure you don’t point out that he was handled the Vice President and GM job by his father in 1984, when Irsay was just 25.

Irsay loves to tout the winning record the Colts have had since he took over as owner in 1997. Just don’t mention that as GM the team had a 85-125 record for the decade prior under Irsay’s watch, a record that would have gotten anyone but the owner’s son fired.

Irsay, a man whose entire NFL existence has been shaped by birth, not talent is now using his machine to try and destroy a player whose actual hard work turned him into the most valuable offensive player on the Colts.

While Taylor is upset running backs aren’t making $5 million dollars more to secure their future, Irsay spent over $10 million on knick-knacks last year, so he could own Kurt Cobain’s guitar and Muhammad Ali’s world title belt.

Make no mistake: Irsay is entitled to waste his money however he wishes. Hell, that’s why he pays people like John Mellencamp and Ann Wilson to play with his band — because money is the only way real musicians would play with Irsay. However, it’s so extremely myopic and cold-hearted to hear the concerns of Taylor, who’s given everything to the Colts since arriving, and choose to destroy his reputation — while you’re off buying Secretariat’s saddle.

In Jim Irsay’s world fealty is everything. Stay close to the man and you get a job you’re not qualified for like Jeff Saturday. Dare to ask for more and he will bury you. Jonathan Taylor is unfortunately learning that the hard way.

One of the most upsetting parts of all this is that fans will pay the price. Instead of getting to see a new, exciting era of Colts football with Anthony Richardson’s dynamism, paired with one of the league’s best bruising running backs — guided by the offensive creativity of Shane Steichen, now they need to see their billionaire owner throw Oliver Twist under the bus for asking for another bowl of gruel.

There’s only one person acting like a horse’s ass here, and it’s the dude paying the checks.