‘It’s a disaster’: Former Colts quarterback calls out owner for being on sidelines during games

Credit: Robert Scheer-USA TODAY SportsCarlie Irsay-Gordon took over as principal owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts after her father, longtime owner Jim Irsay, passed away in 2025, and she has been a fixture on the sideline. Irsay-Gordon was heavily involved in the franchise even before becoming principal owner, having spent over a decade as vice chair and co-owner, but since ascending to the role of principal owner, she has taken on a very hands-on approach during games and stands on the Colts’ sideline wearing a headset and talking to coaches.One former Colts quarterback, Sean Salisbury, who played for the franchise in 1987, thinks Irsay-Gordon needs to stop.“I told you when the season started when an owner stands on the sideline taking notes, you’re f*cked,” Salisbury said. “I know people are going to focus on men or women, I don’t care what the gender is….Sean Salisbury Went off of Carlie Irsay-Gordon“I told you when the season started when an owner stands on the sideline taking notes, you’re f*cked. I know people are going to focus on men or women, I don’t care what the gender is …. I don’t care if you’re SpongeBob Squarepants …. Players do not like to feel like they’re being micro-managed.” https://t.co/efyWK1hWTC— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) October 31, 2026“I don’t care if you’re SpongeBob SquarePants. That is no place for the owner to be [on the sideline]. I have a lot of respect for the Irsays, I do. But the second you come downstairs during a game – not during the end – I’m telling you it’s a disaster. … Players do not like to feel like they’re being micro-managed.”Irsay-Gordon has explained being on the sidelines as her gaining the best possible understanding of how the team functions.“I think one of the things that I learned in going through, even as back as when we hired Chuck Pagano (in 2012), is that sort of accelerated my, ‘I need to learn more about this,’” she said in June of 2025. “‘I need to be able to say, is this person full of BS? Do they even know what they’re talking about? And I think one of the things that being on the headset has really helped me learn is to the question earlier, it’s such a complex organism of football team and how it operates.”However, Salisbury isn’t alone in thinking her behavior is out of line. The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said that he’d seen enough of it earlier this month. The Colts are 2-5 and in the middle of a fire sale, so the reality is that their owner trying to learn the way her team operates is far from their most pressing concern.The post ‘It’s a disaster’: Former Colts quarterback calls out owner for being on sidelines during games appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.