Peyton Manning is responding to the passing of the man who provided him with his first NFL shot.
Jim Irsay, the longtime owner of the Indianapolis Colts, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 65. Social media was consequently inundated with Irsay tributes right away.
The Hall of Fame quarterback Manning, who is now retired, paid one such homage. Manning described Irsay as “an incredibly generous and passionate owner” and expressed his grief at his passing in a post on his Instagram page on Wednesday.
“I am heartbroken to hear about Jim Irsay’s passing,” wrote Manning. “He was an incredibly generous and passionate owner and I will always be indebted to him for giving me my start in the NFL. His love for the Colts and the city of Indy was unmatched.
“His impact on the players who played for him will not be forgotten,” Manning continued of Irsay. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family and everyone in the Colts community. He will be missed. Jim, rest in peace my friend, #18.”
Irsay, who took over as principal owner, CEO, and chairman of the Colts in 1997, made Manning the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. The two enjoyed a very successful partnership with each other during Manning’s time in Indianapolis from 1998-2011. That included eight division titles, 11 playoff berths, and two trips to the Super Bowl (including a win in Super Bowl XLI during the 2006 NFL season).
Manning would also blossom individually under Irsay’s tutelage. During his time as a Colt, Manning won four NFL MVP Awards, made eight All-Pro teams, earned 11 Pro Bowl nods, and set an all-time record with 49 touchdown passes in the 2004 season (which would later be broken by Tom Brady with 50 for the New England Patriots in 2007 before being reclaimed by Manning with 55 in 2013 as a member of the Denver Broncos).
Now 49 years old, Manning did have a bitter split with the Colts after openly criticizing various moves that Irsay and the Indianapolis front office had made at the time. Irsay was also later accused of taking cheap shots at Manning in the media.
But the two men were ultimately able to patch up their differences, and Manning was inducted into the Colts’ Ring of Honor in 2017 (also getting his No. 18 jersey retired by the team). Now that Irsay has died, Manning has nothing but fond memories about the time that they spent with one another.
