‘Performative’ Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon ripped by ex-ESPN personality

If you're tuning into an Indianapolis Colts game, you never know what to expect to see on the field, but you know what you will see on the sideline: Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon .

Irsay-Gordon has become one of the most involved and present NFL owners since stepping into the owner role following the death of her father, Jim Irsay , in May 2025, and she has become a staple on the sideline during games.

On game days, you will see Irsay-Gordon patrolling the sideline with a headset so she can be in touch with communication between the staff, while holding a notepad to jot down her observations during the action. She also pops into team meetings.

Irsay-Gordon believes that learning the minor details of day-to-day operations helps her make informed decisions about how the franchise should move.

Oct 5, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon walks the sideline during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christine Tannous-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

"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, ' I need to be able to say, is this person full of BS? Do they even know what they're talking about?," she said in an interview with the team's website. "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.

"You could say, 'Oh, that person ran that route wrong.' When you learn to find, 'Oh, someone tagged the wrong wide receiver, and it wasn't really the player's fault – it was the person that called it.' I think that's been very valuable, because it also helps us be able to know where do we need to make tweaks, what resources do we need, what do we need to fix. So much of it comes down to just how we operate and how things work and the headsets – I would suggest it for anyone else that has to pay coaches and GMs millions and millions of dollars. It helps you make a less expensive mistake potentially."

While Colts fans will love her dedication to the team, not everyone is on board. Former ESPN personality Ryen Russillo sounded off on the latest episode of The Ryen Russillo, calling Irsay-Gordon's actions "performative."

Ryen Russillo Calls Out 'Performative' Carlie Irsay-Gordon

"I want to see Carly Irsay's notes. I want to know what these notes are. It's very performative to me. I think her announcement is performative to the Colts fans that want her to be the hero for a team that is going through a disappointing run," Russillo said during his rant. "People could say that I'm only saying it because she's a woman, which would be total bullshit because Boston made fun of Robert Kraft forever because he brought a stopwatch to a workout.

"He walked around with a stopwatch and was manually timing people at workouts. When I see her do it, I want to know what, what are you writing down? Yeah. That's it. What are you writing down so that we have a better sense of what it is you're actually evaluating? Share the notes."

Russillo caught some immediate backlash in the comments section for his stance, with many praising Irsay-Gordon for her attention to detail and involvement in making sure the team is set up for the most success.

If the Colts can reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season, it will be well worth the investment she has made in the day-to-day operations. And, at the end of the day, it's better to have an owner who cares rather than someone who is hands-off and just there to make money.

Carlie Irsay-Gordon, principal owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts, is photographed Thursday, Sept 25, 2025, in the trophy room at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis. Irsay-Gordon is holding a helmet worn by former Indianapolis Colts player Robert Mathis .