The football world was shaken on May 21, 2025, when it was announced that Indianapolis Colts owner had passed away. Naturally, that’s brought about many tributes and responses from current and former players around the league. Included among them is legendary Colts QB Peyton Manning. Manning was included in a clip put forth on social media by the team, and in classic Peyton fashion, he had a chuckle-inducing quote retelling a moment he shared with Irsay after he retired from the NFL. “I’m not going to lie – Jim Irsay could do a run-on sentence like no other. One time, he sat me down after I retired, and kind of talking about what I might want to do post-football. He started talking, and I drank eight Bud Lights by the time he actually paused for maybe me to respond, about an hour and a half straight. It was actually impressive. It was amazing.”That’s a quintessential Peyton-ism in a nutshell. A perfect balance. A layer of humor that comes from a good place overlapping a core of respect for the object of his comment. That’s why Manning has been at the top of the entertainment world, appearing on Saturday Night Live, hosting the ManningCast with brother Eli, and roasting Tom Brady on Netflix. Irsay’s legacy will live on with the organization, both with the impact he’s made with the Colts as well as through his three daughters who have taken over control of the team.
