Why Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon wears a headset on the sideline
New owner says the headset helps her learn team operations and avoid costly mistakes, not to micromanage coaches
Carlie Irsay-Gordon, the Indianapolis Colts’ new owner and chief executive officer, said she wears a headset on the sideline to better understand how the football operations function and to avoid expensive mistakes — not to micromanage coaches.
Irsay-Gordon, who assumed ownership alongside her sisters Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson after the death of their father, Jim Irsay, in May, told the team’s website that she has worn a headset at games for years in order to learn as much as possible ahead of taking on the franchise’s leadership. "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," she said. "It helps you make a less expensive mistake potentially."
Her presence on the sideline drew attention during the Sept. 14 game against the Denver Broncos, when Colts kicker Spencer Shrader hit a 45-yard field goal to lift Indianapolis to a 29-28 victory. The win gave the Colts a 2-0 start, their best opening to a season since 2009, with former New York Giant Daniel Jones leading the game-winning drive.
Irsay-Gordon said her sideline work began informally as she followed team business over the years. She pointed to the 2012 hire of coach Chuck Pagano as an early moment that accelerated her desire to understand coaching and personnel choices. "I need to be able to say, is this person full of BS? Do they even know what they’re talking about?" she said. "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."
Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Irsay-Gordon has been engaged with both offensive and defensive work since his hiring in February 2023. "As far as football, she’s around and she understands it," Steichen told the team’s website. "When you talk football with her, she gets it. She understands it. She goes over the defensive stuff, the offensive stuff. She’s been involved since I’ve been here from day one, very hands on and she’s been tremendous. I think she’s going to do a phenomenal job."
Irsay-Gordon has defended her sideline role against suggestions that she inserts herself into coaching decisions. She said the headset helps her identify whether errors are player mistakes or miscommunications in play calls, which in turn informs where the organization should make adjustments or add resources. "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,'" she said. "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."
Fans and some broadcast viewers noticed the headset on Sunday and reacted on social media and during the Fox telecast. Team officials have emphasized that Irsay-Gordon’s sideline presence is part of a long-term effort to be informed about football operations rather than an attempt to override the coaching staff.
Irsay-Gordon has been visible at Colts events throughout the offseason and preseason. She was shown wearing a headset during a preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Aug. 16. The Colts are scheduled to play the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday.
As the Irsay family transition continues, the owner’s explanation frames the headset as a tool for oversight and education. Team executives and coaches have said they welcome an informed owner who understands football operations, while Irsay-Gordon has reiterated that her goal is to support the coaches and front office by identifying where the organization should direct attention and resources rather than to direct plays on the field.