EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsINDIANAPOLIS -- The camera finds Carlie Irsay-Gordon. This becomes apparent during any Indianapolis Colts game telecast, when images of the team's primary owner are sure to be captured as she watches the action from the sideline.It's the fact that Irsay-Gordon is one of one: The only NFL owner known to routinely be stationed on the sideline during games while listening to a coach's headset communications and referencing a play sheet.Irsay-Gordon's longtime practice predates her 2025 ascension to primary owner by several years. Still, it continues to be a subject of fascination -- and debate -- for many.But, according to team sources, don't expect it to change anytime soon.There has not been any discussion of a change to the practice, just as there is no expectation she'll stop attending the various position and staff meetings she routinely sits in. If there's a question to be asked, it's perhaps this: Is Irsay-Gordon's approach having its intended effect?She went on record long ago to explain why she is on the sideline during games and why she's listening to headset transmissions."I need to be able to say, 'Is this person full of B.S.? Do they even know what they're talking about?'" Irsay-Gordon said last year. She referred to a football team as "a complex organism" and explained how listening to coaches' conversations during games helps her decipher why plays did and did not work, for instance.All of this helps inform her day-to-day management of the team. It helps her, sources say, ask more probing questions during her respective weekly meetings with general manager Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen, for instance."I like to say on a good day I have like a fifth-grade reading level understanding of the game and just the basic concepts of what we're trying to do, depending on the week and depending on our opponent and depending on the situation," Irsay-Gordon told "Front Office Sports Tonight" in London, where the Colts beat the Washington Commanders 30-13 on Sunday. "But I think, then, it just helps to understand and to ask questions, because I think one of the things, in my opinion, like being a good leader is about listening, really to understand. And I think that's what the best teams do."Irsay-Gordon and her youngest sister, Kalen Jackson, took an active role in the team's extensive coaching search that produced Steichen's hiring on Feb. 14, 2023. To that end, gaining a deeper understanding of the team's operation better positioned her to decipher whether they are getting sufficient answers from job candidates, Irsay-Gordon has said.Asked what someone might glean from listening to conversations on a headset during games, Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said "there's a lot to learn from what is said."He added, "One of the things I really enjoy [about] coaching at the NFL level is the detail that goes into some of the strategic decisions and questions and problems that we solve."To be clear, an owner listening to a coach's headset is atypical.When Irsay-Gordon first began the practice -- long before her father, longtime Colts owner Jim Irsay, died last year -- it was initially seen as a surprising development for the former coaching staff, a source told ESPN.Some coaches were said to be more mindful of what they might say into their headsets, knowing a member of ownership was listening in. Ultimately, though, it didn't prove problematic. Now, it's mostly an afterthought because she has been at it since at least 2020.Irsay-Gordon's management style likely helped her gain acceptance despite making what is a bold move for an owner. She is ever present at Colts headquarters, working long hours alongside coaches and front-office executives through the week. She has forged genuine relationships with people at the highest levels of the organization as well as lower-level support staff. Around the building, everyone refers to her simply as "Carlie."Additionally, it was former head coach Frank Reich who encouraged Irsay-Gordon to make the habit of wearing a headset permanent as part of her effort to better educate herself on the team's machinations. His endorsement of the idea might have helped eased tensions.Her exact role on game day is also important to emphasize: She is not an active participant, according to Steichen and other staffers. Footage of Irsay-Gordon questioning an assistant coach on the sideline Sunday in London were shared widely online and described as disruptive in some corners. But the images were from before the game, not during the team's win.During games, Irsay-Gordon is equipped with a walkie-talkie connected to headphones. The device provides her the ability to listen to coaches' transmissions but not to join the conversation. She is generally positioned off to the side and not at the center of the activity unfolding on the sideline.And you should expect Irsay-Gordon to be in her usual spot Sunday, when the Colts travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. ET, CBS).She is adamant her presence is not a hindrance, something she is very cognizant of and has discussed with coaches and players."What's funny is, I think my biggest concern going through this transition [to owner] was making sure I wasn't a distraction," Irsay-Gordon told ESPN earlier this year. "It's so interesting. Even a lot of the [players] were like, 'Why are people so focused on this now? You've been around for years. This doesn't make sense.'"It was just the confirmation Irsay-Gordon needed, she said. Because she's not going anywhere."I'm glad it's normal for them," Irsay-Gordon told ESPN. "Because I still have a lot more to learn."
