Why Are Colts Carrying Blue Guitar? Significance of Jim Irsay’s Prized Possession Revealed

This offseason, the Indianapolis Colts lost their heartbeat when longtime owner Jim Irsay passed away. His absence still lingers everywhere— especially in the locker room. The team has already stitched his initials into a jersey patch and will induct him into the Ring of Honor during halftime of the season opener. But when the Colts take the field, there will be something even more symbolic to be noted.

At the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on Labor Day, Colts Owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon gathered the roster to talk about her father’s life and the values that shaped his decades of leadership. When the head coach, Shane Steichen, stepped forward with a surprise. A custom blue guitar, painted with the Colts’ horseshoe logo and three simple words—Win For Jim—hoping to finally hit the right chord and break a decade-long streak by winning one for Jim.

Significance of Jim Irsay’s blue guitar: Season’s anthem

That phrase isn’t just painted on the wood; it’s carved into the team’s mindset. The mantra they are going to bring on the field. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said it plainly: “A bunch of us, we’ve been talking about it, how we really do have to win for Jim and start fast and put something out there that he’ll be proud of. We definitely take that to heart.” The symbolism runs even deeper when you consider Irsay’s own obsession with Week 1. For years, the opener was a sore spot—the Colts haven’t won their first game of the season since 2013, a drought that outlasted multiple general managers, three different head coaches, seven starting quarterbacks, and even several games where Indy entered as the favorite.

Every September stumble seemed to chip away at Jim Irsay a little more. That’s why the guitar matters. The tradition is simple but powerful. Each week, a player will carry the blue guitar into the locker room and set it on its stand for everyone to see. Coaches, teammates, staff—nobody walks past it without being reminded why they’re here. More like a reminder of a man who loved music, who loved his team, and who never stopped demanding the best. But this isn’t just some off-the-shelf tribute. Steichen teamed up with Dr. Mark French from Purdue’s Guitar Lab to sketch the design, and a Purdue alum, Noah Scott, brought it to life with his own hands.

With finishing touches from Lafayette’s Freckles Graphics and Prime Auto Body, the build has the same grit and staying power the Colts want to carry into Sundays.

Irsay’s legacy is shaping the locker room

This opener isn’t just another date on the NFL calendar. It’s like a stage draped in memory, heavy with legacy. Jonathan Taylor said it best: “You want to win every game, you want to win every first game. But you know he’s watching.” And how could they not feel it? With Jim Irsay’s name shining in the Ring of Honor and his imprint stitched into every inch of the stadium, the Colts won’t just be playing football—they’ll be playing for a man who built their Sundays. This isn’t just about yards and touchdowns; it’s about showing that what Jim left behind is still moving in the right direction.

When the Colts honor Jim Irsay at halftime, it won’t just be about raising his name to the rafters—it’ll be about raising memories. Indianapolis’ heartbeat from the day the franchise arrived in ’84, businessman, philanthropist, caretaker of legends—his reach went far beyond the field. And now, those same legends will walk back onto the turf he gave them, not as players, but as living reminders of better days. They’re not just inducting Jim; they’re welcoming him into the same circle he created for all of them. History looping back on itself.

But here’s the truth: tributes only matter if the team backs them up. Charvarius Ward nailed it—“All the legends, all the Hall of Famers… we’ve got to come out there, turn up and not let them down.” Imagine the weight of that. A roster playing with every eye on them, from the ghosts of past glory to the family still grieving. Michael Pittman Jr. stripped it down to the core: the Colts’ mantra this year is clear—Win for Jim. And every game, every snap, every victory? All in his honor.