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Indianapolis Colts co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon caught the attention of fans this season while she was on the sidelines wearing a helmet as the team started 2025 strong.
Irsay-Gordon is the daughter of Jim Irsay, who died earlier this year.
His presence on the sideline was felt in previous years, but the team’s 7-1 start has renewed attention on Irsay-Gordon and his involvement in the organization.
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Carlie Irsay-Gordon, CEO and owner of the Indianapolis Colts, watches the game against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half at SoFi Stadium on September 28, 2025. (Gary A. Vasquez/Imagn Images)
She also received praise from former NFL MVP Cam Newton.
“She’s a big stepper now! … She makes her presence felt, and that leads to wins,” the former Carolina Panthers star said on the “4th and 1” podcast. “We’ve never seen a team make this type of run, like you said, in the last 25 years.
“She’s doing something right, and it’s extremely commendable. It’s eyebrow-raising and thought-provoking here. Do we need more women in sports? Because what they bring to the table is something most men would overlook.
Cam Newton at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Marquee Dayclub Las Vegas at the Cosmopolitan on February 10, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
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“Some say women are more organized, more detail-oriented, more focused. Head coaches don’t often want involvement from upper management. Why? Because it can feel like they’re micromanaging them. But, at the same time, if I’m paying you, you don’t have the right to tell me how I should run my team.”
Irsay-Gordon explained in June why she seemed so heavily involved with the team.
“I have to be able to say, ‘Is this person full of bullshit? Do they even know what they’re talking about?'” she said. “I think one of the things that the helmet really helped me learn is that, to answer the previous question, it’s such a complex organism, a football team and how it operates. …. You might say, ‘Oh, this person took that route wrong.’ When you learn, “Oh, someone hit the wrong receiver, and it wasn’t really the player’s fault.” It’s the person who called him.
Indianapolis Colts co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon walks on the sideline during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 5, 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
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“It’s been very valuable because it also helps us know where do we need to make adjustments? What resources do we need? What do we need to fix? It’s all about how we operate and how things work and headsets, … I would suggest it to anyone else who has to pay millions and millions of dollars to coaches and general managers. It helps you make a less costly mistake, potentially.”
