New Colts Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon Gets Candid About Why She’ll Be on the Sideline With a Headset During Games

When the Indianapolis Colts take the field this season, their new owner and CEO, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, won’t be watching from a luxury box. You’ll find her on the sidelines with a headset on, listening to every play call like she’s part of the coaching staff. And before you write it off as some publicity stunt, hear her out.

Irsay-Gordon raised eyebrows when she showed up at midfield before games, with the headset on and the clipboard ready. People wondered what an owner was doing down there with the coaches. Turns out, she’s got a pretty clear answer: she wants to know exactly what’s happening with her team, as it happens.

Why NFL Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon Wears a Headset During Games

“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… it’s such a complex organism of football team and how it operates… You could say, ‘Oh, that person ran that route wrong.’ Then you learn, ‘Oh, someone tagged the wrong WR and it wasn’t really the player’s fault, it was the person that called it.’

That’s Irsay-Gordon explaining her sideline setup.

With that headset, she’s plugged directly into the coaches’ conversations. She hears the play calls, listens to coordinators adjust on the fly, and can ask questions right there in the moment. No waiting for Monday’s meeting to get answers.

Here’s how it works: Every game, she gets a play call sheet (the same one coaches use) that breaks down the game plan. Offensive scripts, defensive packages, situational plays, personnel groupings—the whole nine yards. Armed with that info, she can follow along and actually understand why coaches make the calls they do or question why they don’t.

Much has been made of Colts owner Carlie-Irsay Gordon wearing headsets during games. We’ve explained it’s to help her better understand dynamics, but she added details today:

“I need to be able to say, ‘Is this person full of BS? Do they even know what they’re talking about?’ 1/

— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) June 10, 2025

When you’re writing checks for millions in coaching salaries, Irsay-Gordon figures you should know what you’re paying for. Her real-time insight into game management feeds directly into bigger decisions about roster moves, salary cap spending, and whether the GM is doing his job.

The Colts’ coaches seem to be on board with the approach based on what they told Colts.com.

“As far as football, she’s around and she understands it,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. “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 1 — very hands on and she’s been tremendous. I think she’s going to do a phenomenal job.”

Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason pushed back on the narrative that she is micromanaging the staff.

“I just kind of respected that she was going the extra mile to both understand everything that was happening from a schematic standpoint, understanding and trying to get the best out of the players, the coaches, and being actively involved,” Mason said.

“Obviously, it’s not a situation where she’s actively speaking on the headset or she’s stepping on anybody’s toes, or there’s not any situations where decisions are going through ownership in that kind of realm or situation. So, it’s not like a situation where anybody’s being micromanaged. It’s just a situation where she’s fully involved in the success of the organization.”

First Female NFL Owner Sets New Standard for Team Leadership

While some old-school types might call it micromanaging, Irsay-Gordon sees it differently. “I would recommend it for anyone who has to pay coaches and GMs millions and millions of dollars,” she explained.

Fair point.

Instead of watching from a climate-controlled suite, she’s down where the action is, monitoring the job her coaches are doing. It sends a message: this isn’t your typical hands-off ownership.

Come training camp, expect to see that headset again. Irsay-Gordon is making it clear she’s not just signing checks and hoping for the best. She’s studying the game, asking tough questions, and making sure everyone in the building knows she’s paying attention.

For Colts fans, that level of engagement from ownership should be encouraging. In a league where details matter and accountability drives success, having an owner who actually understands what’s happening on the field (not just the final score) could make all the difference.