Leadership Looks Like This: Carlie Irsay-Gordon Redefines NFL Ownership
- Alyssa Klauminzer
- Sep 21
- 4 min read
Most NFL owners aren't seen on the sidelines of their team's games wearing headsets and taking notes. But most NFL owners aren't Carlie Irsay-Gordon.
The Colts have been in the Irsay family since 1972, when Robert Irsay, the grandfather of Irsay-Gordon, took ownership of the team. Irsay moved the Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis, and his son, Jim Irsay, inherited the team in 1997. Irsay-Gordon's father passed away in May of this year, and the Colts announced she would assume the titles of principal owner and chief executive officer.
Irsay-Gordon knows what she's doing on the football field and behind the scenes. She isn't new to the NFL; she's been involved with her family's team for two decades:
During undergrad: Irsay-Gordon first worked in the ticketing office and marketing department for the Colts.
2004: She began representing the team in ownership meetings.
2008: She was made a team vice president.
2012: She and her younger sisters, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson, became co-owners of the Colts, and her sisters were also made vice presidents.
2014: Irsay-Gordon was named chair of the Colts.
2016: She joined the NFL Digital Media Committee.
2022: Along with the Colts, she created and oversees the team's Tony Dungy Diversity Coaching Fellowship, which gives opportunities to diverse football coaching candidates to advance their careers.
2023: Along with the Colts, she also created and oversees the Harriet P. Irsay Fellowship for Women in Football, which awards women coaching football or working in football operations to give them opportunities they may not otherwise get in football.
Since 2024: She is a member of the NFL's Media Owned and Operated Committee, the 32 Equity Committee, the NFL's Security and Fan Conduct Committee, and she's on the board for the NFL Player Care Foundation.
2025: Irsay-Gordon became the CEO, Foyt became the executive vice president, and Jackson became the chief branding officer.
Irsay-Gordon said her father was so proud to see his daughters find their own niche in the franchise.
In her first season as the principal owner and CEO, Irsay-Gordon is getting involved in the game in a way that isn't really seen from other leaders in the NFL. At Colts games, Irsay-Gordon can be found on the sidelines, clipboard in hand, and wearing a headset to listen to play calling and understand the intricacies of each play.
"For her to be on the sidelines, I think it's a great deal so she knows exactly what's going on," said Colts head coach Shane Steichen.
Irsay-Gordon has received criticism for "micromanaging" the team (not that any man would be commented on for doing the same thing she is). But the team will be the first to say that her hands-on approach is beneficial to the team.
"She's really detailed and spent a lot of time to kind of know the ins and outs of everything that's happening, and wants to make sure that we get the absolute best that we can as an organization, that we're putting players in positions to be successful and can kind of reach the standard that we have set as an organization. So, I just kind of respected that she was going the extra mile to both understand everything that was happening from a schematic standpoint, understanding and trying to get the best out of the players, the coaches, and being actively involved," said Brian Mason, Colts special teams coordinator. "It's not a situation where she's actively speaking on the headset or she's stepping on anybody's toes, or there's not any situations where decisions are going through ownership in that kind of realm or situation. So, it's not like a situation where anybody's being micromanaged. It's just a situation where she's fully involved in the success of the organization."
Players from the team have weighed in on Irsay-Gordon's role too.
Starting quarterback Daniel Jones (or Indiana Jones, as he's recently been nicknamed), who signed to a one-year contract in March, has been off to a hot start this season. Jones, who has turned a new corner in his seven-year career, said to Kay Adams on the Up & Adams Show, "You can tell she's very intentional on trying to learn what's going on with the game plan week to week. It's been impressive to me that she does that. A lot of people can sense how hard she works at knowing what we do to prepare each week."
Colts safety Cam Bynum said to Adams, "The fact that she's sitting in defensive meetings, learning the defense with us, and knowing what the calls are and knowing who's in what spots... Being an owner of a team, you don't have to do any of that. You don't have to show up in the building every single day. She's there every single day."
In a world where she would be equally criticized for just sitting in a suite to watch the game, like most owners do (how 'bout them Cowboys?), why not be as involved and tactical as possible? Why not get immersed in the game and directly learn how to best invest in the team? They just hate to see girls getting it done and getting it done better. The Colts are 3-0 to start the season for the first time since 2009, so clearly things are going right under Irsay-Gordon's ownership (no matter what someone posting online from their couch might try to say).
The Gist made an Instagram post about Irsay-Gordon, highlighting how powerful it is for her to take a position on the field: "Irsay-Gordon is redefining NFL ownership, bringing transparency, accountability, and a hands-on approach to ensure the Colts' stability and success [...] Her approach aims to protect the Colts from financial setbacks, while blazing a new trail that could inspire other franchises to follow her proactive lead."
With her extensive experience in a variety of avenues in the NFL, Irsay-Gordon found opportunities to become even more involved with her team and upped the game for other NFL owners.
Including Irsay-Gordon, more women own NFL teams now than ever before, with 12 of the 32 teams having a woman in ownership positions, and they are changing the direction of the game. The NFL is not just a boys club anymore.
Carlie Irsay-Gordon is changing the game and showing what leadership looks like.
Edited by: Kelly Cassette
Comments