Indianapolis Colts Owner Jim Irsay Arrest, Will He Face Disciplinary Action?

When Indianapolis Colts’ owner Jim Irsay was arrested by Carmel police on Sunday night for driving under the influence, many of his family and close friends breathed a sigh of relief.

Jim Irsay faces preliminary charges on four counts including DUI and possession of a controlled substance.

For a number of years Colts insiders have known that the boss had a drug problem and fought to get him into rehab, at the very least they wanted him to hire a driver so he would not drive while impaired, an easy enough thing to do that didn’t happen.

The Colts have been cleaning up Jim Irsay’s messes and covering up for him for years, but nobody that saw the recent physical transformation — going from 235 pounds to 165 pounds, which he attributed to doctors orders — was surprised. Those who know him, knew best.

However, many felt that — as is the case in many instances — he is a grown man and should get the help he needs. Now that an arrest has happened, those who care about Jim Irsay hope it will be that wake up call that they have been waiting for.

On Sunday Carmel, Indiana cops spotted the exec going at a slow rate of speed, suddenly coming to a complete stop in the travel lane, and failing to signal, which prompted them to pull him over, according to a statement by police spokesman Lt. Joe Bickel to the Daily News.

Police found numerous prescription bottles in Jim Irsay’s car and he failed the sobriety test given to him at the scene. If convicted on the charges, the Colts owner could face six-months to three-years in prison on each count.

Jim Irsay was released from jail on Monday on a $22,500 bond, after spending the night in custody waiting for the substances that were in his system to be gone. A hearing has been set for March 26.

In a statement Colts director of communications Avis Roper said:

“We are gathering information at this time regarding last night’s incident involving Jim Irsay. The team will issue additional statements when the facts are sorted and we are aware of the next steps to this process. Many fans have reached out to express their concern and we appreciate their support.”

The NFL said that Jim Irsay will face some disciplinary action and is waiting to gather all the information on the incident so Commissioner Roger Goodell — who works for the owners — can hand down his decision which can include suspension and fines under the league’s personal conduct policy.

Many believe that Goodell must come down hard on Jim Irsay, harder than he has done in the cases of players who have been caught in similar situations. After all the team owners should be the ones setting a good example for their players and if an example isn’t made here then nobody will take the NFL seriously.

Some of the possibilities are of course a monetary fine (that shouldn’t put too much of a damper in Jim Irsay’s billion dollar fortune), forcing him to go to rehab, or perhaps withholding a draft pick for next season, which could indeed be more significant. Everyone is watching.

[Image via Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office]