Colts Announce Owner Jim Irsay Is 'Being Treated for a Severe Respiratory Illness'

The Indianapolis Colts announced Tuesday that owner Jim Irsay is receiving treatment for a "severe respiratory illness."

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Colts released an official statement regarding Irsay's status that read as follows:

"Jim Irsay is currently being treated for a severe respiratory illness. While this unfortunately means he won't be able to perform with his band this week in Los Angeles, he is receiving excellent care and looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible. We'll have no additional information at this time and we ask that you respect the privacy of Jim and his family as he recovers."

The 64-year-old Irsay has been the acting owner of the Colts since 1995, and he took on full ownership in 1997 following the death of his father, Robert Irsay.

After Irsay became the Colts' owner, the franchise enjoyed enormous success, and much of it coincided with the arrival of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning in 1998.

From 1999 through 2010, the Colts reached the playoffs 11 times in 12 seasons, winning eight division titles, making two Super Bowl appearances and winning one Super Bowl.

Manning's departure coincided with the Colts selecting quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, and they enjoyed another good run with Luck under center, reaching the playoffs in his first three seasons and making it to the AFC Championship Game once.

Luck abruptly retired prior to the 2019 season, and the Colts have struggled to attain their previous level of success since then, making the playoffs just once in the past five campaigns.

Little was expected of the Colts this season after going 4-12-1 last season, but they beat all projections by finishing with a winning record at 9-8.

Indianapolis lost promising rookie quarterback early in the season due to injury, forcing journeyman backup Gardner Minshew to step in and perform admirably.

The Colts had a win-and-in game against the Houston Texans in Week 18 of the regular season, but they fell just short in a 23-19 loss, resulting in the Texans winning the AFC South.

Irsay is best known for guiding the Colts, but he is also heavily involved with the music industry, and he has his own band called The Jim Irsay Band, which travels all over the country.

Additionally, Irsay has accumulated an incredible aggregation of music memorabilia known as the Jim Irsay Collection, which also tours around the United States.

Although Irsay will not be with his band this week in Los Angeles, he is recovering from his illness in preparation for what could be a huge offseason for the Colts.