Colts owner Jim Irsay appeared at his team’s training camp on Sunday, marking his first public outing since a suspected overdose at his Indiana home in December, according to ESPN.
Irsay, 65, has denied the overdose suggestion used in the police report and is still recovering from what Fox59 previously described as “major” surgery for a back/leg issue.
“It’s frustrating because my left leg doesn’t have the push I need yet,” Irsay said, according to ESPN. “I can stand up and things like that, but in terms of walking and things like that, it’s hard to tell exactly how far along I am. But it’s not far off. Lord knows I’ve worked hard to get back on my feet.”
Although Irsay hasn’t been seen in the past eight months, he has made headlines several times since his shocking hospitalization was revealed in December.
The Colts announced in early January that Irsay was being treated for a “serious respiratory illness” that forced him to miss his band’s concert in Los Angeles.
Irsay had not been seen in public in weeks, according to ESPN.
Just over a week later, a new report detailed how Irsay was found unconscious and short of breath at his Carmel, Indiana, home at 4:30 a.m. ET on December 8, and police classified the incident as an “overdose” and “overdose/poisoning.”
Police used a dose of naloxone, which can be used to help people who have overdosed on opiates, which allowed Irsay to respond “minimally,” according to the police report obtained by TMZ.
Paramedics then transported Irsay to the hospital.
“It is unknown at this time what Mr. Irsay ingested prior to our arrival,” the police report states.
Irsay has since denied overdosing, calling it “regrettable” that the terminology was used.
“It wasn’t an overdose,” Irsay told Fox59 in April. “I don’t know why, when your name is in the paper in the past, people are quick to mention it. I don’t really pay attention to it, but I don’t think it’s fair.”
He added that he actually suffered a leg injury and Fox59 said he developed a “serious hematoma.”
“It’s unfortunate because they don’t really have the information that they need at that speed when you’re checking someone into the hospital and it’s an overdose or this or that,” Irsay told the outlet. “It wasn’t an overdose. The fact is that the leg needed to be taken care of immediately.”
“When you have severe pain in different parts of your body, it’s not the easiest thing to deal with.”
Irsay tweeted in February that he was “on the mend” but could not attend the team’s NFL draft in person after undergoing the surgery.
The Colts went 9-8 last year but missed the playoffs, and are hoping their 2023 first-round pick, quarterback Anthony Richardson, can stay healthy and lead the team to the playoffs.
New York Post
