At least one prominent NFL owner will be staying home during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay told ESPN’s Stephen Holder that he won’t be present in the team’s draft room as he continues to recover from major back surgery.
“The main thing is I’m just following my doctors’ orders and just making sure the bottom line is just to get back to 100% and to do the things they say,” Irsay said. “I’m just being a good patient and trying to make sure I can get back sooner than later. I’ll get back on the golf course sooner than later.
“It’s going fine. It’s just a test of patience.”
Irsay added that he will be connected to general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen during the draft, despite being at home.
The 64-year-old businessman was hospitalized back on Dec. 8 after being found unresponsive at his home in what first responders deemed a suspected drug overdose.
One month later, the Colts released a statement saying Irsay was being treated for a “severe respiratory illness.” Ballard told reporters in February that Irsay was “progressing well” from the issue.
The 2024 NFL Draft will begin with the first round on Thursday night, followed by rounds two and three Friday. The event wraps up with the fourth-through-seventh rounds on Saturday afternoon.