The football world lost Pat McAfee shared a touching tribute to Jim Irsay on social media.
Pat McAfee’s Touching Tribute To Jim Irsay
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
McAfee has successfully transitioned from football to the media because of his ability to convey emotion and connect with the audience.
Unsurprisingly, McAfee’s tribute to Irsay was heartfelt, funny, and sincere.
McAfee played for the Colts from 2009 to 2016, so naturally, he had a lot to say about the Colts owner.
“This is devastating,” McAfee wrote on X. “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.”
While acknowledging that Irsay had “his demons,” McAfee complimented the owner for his generosity and comion. McAfee estimated that Irsay gave away over $100 million to charitable causes.
After bonding over their shared love of social media, McAfee praised Irsay for his handling of the punter’s retirement in 2016 to pursue a career in media. McAfee said he had a two-and-a-half-hour conversation with Irsay about retirement, with the Colts owner sharing advice on how to run a business while being authentic.
“If for some reason this doesn’t work or you don’t want to do it anymore, you’ll always have a job here at the Colts,” Irsay told McAfee. “You are family.”
McAfee ended by saying, “Thank you for everything, big man. You were a damn legend. Rest Easy, brother.”
Jim Irsay Tributes
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 21, 2025
Many tributes from the NFL community have been rolling in since Irsay’s ing.
Peyton Manning, the Hall of Fame quarterback who won a Super Bowl with the Colts in 2007, praised Irsay on Instagram for giving him a shot in the NFL.
“He was an incredibly generous and ionate owner and I will always be indebted to him for giving me my start in the NFL,” Manning wrote. “His love for the Colts and the city of Indy was unmatched. His impact on the players who played for him will not be forgotten.”
Peyton Manning’s IG post on Jim Irsay: pic.twitter.com/a7r6LWLoCO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 22, 2025
Andrew Luck, Manning’s successor in Indianapolis, said Irsay’s ion for the Colts was “unwavering,” and he loved the team with his “whole heart.”
General Manager Andrew Luck and Interim Head Coach Frank Reich their former colleague and friend, Jim Irsay. https://t.co/7xS7C93Y0w pic.twitter.com/oeQc4alI5S
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) May 22, 2025
