The Indianapolis Colts are sitting comfortably at 7-1 after crushing the Tennessee Titans 38-14 on Sunday. They have grabbed first place in the AFC South with a comfortable 2.5-game lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and people around the league are starting to take notice of what is happening in Indianapolis.​ While quarterback Daniel Jones, who has a QBR of 79.2, placing him 2nd in the entire league, has been nothing short of spectacular this season, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, the Colts’ owner and CEO, has been making waves on the sideline with her hands-on approach to running the team.

Amy Trask, the first-ever female CEO of an NFL team during her 16-year tenure with the Raiders, has been watching closely as Irsay-Gordon navigates her role. Trask has a clear perspective on the doubters and critics of Irsay-Gordon’s methods.

She stated, “And as I said, she’s doing it her way. And to those who have criticized her for being on the sideline, for doing that, which she’s doing, I have three words for them. Seven and one.”

Trask added, “I had a few more words. I won’t even bother counting. And maybe it’s five or six more words. Best record in the league. So she’s doing it her way, and it’s working, and I wish her the very best for success,” congratulating Carlie Irsay-Gordon.

Trask’s backing carries significant weight given her role in guiding the Raiders through financial hardship during her time as CEO. She fought daily financial battles for the organization and was instrumental in keeping operations running smoothly.​

Trask further explained how “Carlie has done everything she can to prepare herself for this role. She’s evolving in this role. She’s succeeding in this, and based on my experience with her at that league meeting and years of working with her father, I am thrilled to see her succeeding.”

She remembers seeing Carlie Irsay-Gordon at league meetings way back in 2004 with her late father, Jim Irsay. Following Jim Irsay’s death in May at age 65, Carlie was named owner and CEO, while her sister Casey Foyt became owner and executive vice president, and their sister Kalen Jackson took the roles of owner, chief brand officer, and president of the Indianapolis Colts Foundation.​

She recalled, “I remember discussing with Jim how important it was to him that his daughters learn about the league. He wanted them to be ready for their jobs and to take over. And that’s exactly what’s gone on.”

The 7-1 start marks the best beginning the franchise has seen since the 2009 season, when the Colts also started 7-1 before losing in Super Bowl XLIV.​ For Irsay-Gordon, the results validate her leadership approach and her willingness to engage directly in the team’s daily operations.

Carlie Irsay-Gordon’s ownership is fueling the Colts’ success

When asked about why she chooses to wear the headset and take notes on the sideline during games, Carlie Irsay-Gordon was straightforward about her mission.

She said, “I need to learn more about this. I need to be able to say, is this person full of BS? Do they even know what they’re talking about?”

She explained the complexity of understanding how a football team operates, especially on game day.

She continued, “And I think one of the things that being on the headset has really helped me learn is, to question earlier, it’s such a complex organism, a football team, and how it operates.”

Irsay-Gordon used a specific example to illustrate why her approach matters.

She noted, “And on game day, and you could say, ‘oh that person ran that route wrong,’ when you learn to find someone tagged the wrong wide receiver, and it wasn’t really the player’s fault. It was the person that I called it”.​

She explained, “I think that’s been very valuable because it also helps us to be able to know where do we need to make tweaks. What resources do we need? What do we need to fix?”

Her willingness to engage directly with the team’s operations has proven to be valuable. The Colts are averaging 33.8 points per game, the league best, and putting up 345.1 yards per game in total offense.​ On defense, the Colts have allowed just 19.3 points per game.

The Colts head into a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers today.