Ex-NFL star praises Colts co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon for her involvement with team

Indianapolis Colts co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has caught the attention of fans this season while on the sideline wearing a headset as the team has started 2025 strong.

Irsay-Gordon is the daughter of Jim Irsay, who died earlier this year. 

Her presence on the sideline has been felt in previous years, but the team’s 7-1 start has renewed focus on Irsay-Gordon and her involvement in the organization.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

She earned the praise of one-time NFL MVP Cam Newton as well.

“She’s a big stepper now! … She is making her presence felt, and it’s leading to wins,” the former Carolina Panthers star said on the “4th and 1” podcast. “We’ve never seen a team have this type of run, like you said, in the last 25 years.

“She’s doing something right, and it’s extremely commendable. It raises eyebrows and the thought process in here. Do we need more women in sports? Because what they provide is something that most men would overlook.

Cam Newton at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl party at Marquee Dayclub Las Vegas at The Cosmopolitan Feb. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas.  (Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)

NFL STAR PLAYFULLY CLAIMS WHITE TEAMMATE IS BEING RACIALLY PROFILED BY REFS AMID RASH OF PENALTIES

“Some say women are more organized, detail-oriented, more sharp. Not a lot of times head coaches want the involvement of upper management. Why? Because they may feel that they’re micromanaging them. But, at the same time, if I’m paying you, you don’t get to tell me how I should run my team.”

Irsay-Gordon explained in June why she seemed to be so heavily involved with the team.

“I need to be able to say, ‘Is this person full of BS? Do they even know what they’re talking about?’” she said. “I think one of the things being on the headset has really helped me learn is, to the question earlier, it is such a complex organism, a football team and how it operates. …. You could say, ‘Oh, that person ran that route wrong.’ When you learn, ‘Oh, someone tagged the wrong wide receiver, and it wasn’t really the player’s fault. It was the person that called it.

Indianapolis Colts co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon walks on the sideline during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium Oct. 5, 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“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 comes down to 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.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.