"Don't let our relationship ever impact what's best for the organization," Chris Ballard told the Irsay sisters. In other words: If you wanna move on, I get it. Instead, Ballard gets a 10th season. w/ @jourdanrodrigue.bsky.social, why this calculus was different: www.nytimes.com/athletic/694...

In early December, before the season fell apart, Carlie Irsay-Gordon wrote on a whiteboard at the Colts facility: "The things which hurt, instruct." What's the Colts' new owner **really** like? A profile from @jourdanrodrigue.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/689...

“We couldn’t stop a nosebleed.” “Our fans deserve better.” The shame of it is the 44-year-old high school coach did his part. The defense did not. And it speaks to a bigger issue — again, this team is fading with its season on the line: www.nytimes.com/athletic/691...

Is there any chance this actually works? Philip Rivers called Frank Reich on Tuesday morning while he weighed his decision. "I do think he gives them the best chance to win the division and get to the playoffs," Reich said. "I'm not afraid to say that." www.nytimes.com/athletic/687...

"Maybe you get a beer named after you, or maybe you close a Tony Robbins seminar at midnight, or maybe you just drop your kid at school and hit golf balls in paradise ..." @brianchamilton.bsky.social on the happiest men in the NFL, long snappers: www.nytimes.com/athletic/680...

I went on a journey — to Las Vegas, San Diego, Dallas, and Buffalo — to learn about the NFL’s long-distance kicking revolution. From a camp of pro hopefuls to Brandon Aubrey, Cameron Dicker, Cam Little and more. Here’s my story on the art of kicking. www.nytimes.com/athletic/681...

Perfect match of subject and writer 👇🏼 A few years ago, stuck in a writing slump, The National frontman Matt Berninger started scribbling song lyrics on baseballs. It helped him find something. From @bfquinn.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/675...

The GM who'd grown stubborn and hard-headed and realized he was wrong. The coach who wanted obsession from his QB. The castoff who'd become an afterthought. A look inside the Colts' stunning revival: www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

Mike Evans is one 1,000-yard season away from breaking Jerry Rice's all-time record, but his consistent excellence was born out of agony. Evans' father's murder drove him to the NFL. Vincent Jackson helped him stay there. http://dlvr.it/TN52V0

I went to Tampa to find out what made Mike Evans one of the baddest dudes in football. Turned out to be one of the realest interviews I've had in years. And it started with the night his uncle brutally murdered his father outside the home he was sleeping in: www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

After it was over — after he'd authored the most successful season from a rookie QB in NFL history — he walled off the world for a few days. When the Super Bowl was on, he turned it off. "Couldn't watch," he says. Inside Jayden Daniels' road to Year 2: www.nytimes.com/athletic/656...

The story behind the story 👇🏻 www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

Must-read here from Zak on a topic that will resonate with Bears fans

"Organizations fail young QBs before young QBs fail organizations." What led Kevin O'Connell to say this? And why do so many around the NFL agree? I spent 4 months asking Hall of Famers, No. 1 picks, busts, coaches + execs why teams keep breaking young QBs: www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

From @theathletic.com: “I fell out of love,” Andrew Luck says, reducing one of the most shocking retirements in NFL history into five tidy words. Then, the game that was once brutally beaten out of him slowly began to pull him back in.

Andrew Luck knew he made the right decision by leaving the NFL. He just hated what he left behind. Read more: www.nytimes.com/athletic/654...

Pain took football away from Andrew Luck. “I fell out of love,” he says, reducing one of the most shocking retirements in NFL history into five tidy words. And then? Something happened that he didn’t see coming. http://dlvr.it/TMY2n9

"I was gonna play until I was 40 or 45," Andrew Luck tells me. To which I said, "Wait a minute, what?" After it was over, he found himself in a fog. "I can't be 30 years old and retired. This is ridiculous." Then something pulled him out of it: www.nytimes.com/athletic/654...

"I accidentally married Aaron Donald." "You can tell people I am delusional. I don't care ..." This story isn't just creepy, it's terrifying. Great reporting from @nathanfenno.bsky.social on the stalker who left a future Hall of Famer in fear www.nytimes.com/athletic/654...

New from me: a look inside the Colts' QB battle ⤵️ A reckoning at the top — about the mistakes they've already made with Anthony Richardson — and a surprising approach if 2025 doesn't go to plan: www.nytimes.com/athletic/652...

"No cellphones until middle school. Even then, they couldn't be used at dinner. And until 11th grade, they had to charge their phones at night in their parents' room." How do you raise a star QB in the social media age? Fascinating from @brucefeldmancfb.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/644...

From Kansas City: The Chiefs passed out the rings no one wanted this week. There was no ceremony, no real celebration. "A reminder," Patrick Mahomes called them. All they've thought about since February is making it back: www.nytimes.com/athletic/643...

Forget the pundits. Forget the ratings. Forget all the Thunder-in-five picks. The Pacers are one win from a title, with all the momentum in the world and the mettle to win a Game 7 on the road. Column from an ear-splitting Game 6: www.nytimes.com/athletic/643...

From Kansas City, for @theathletic.bsky.social: "I feel like I failed my guys," Travis Kelce said Wednesday, going back to the pain of Super Bowl LIX. The Chiefs' tight end dishes on why he came back, dropping weight and if 2025 is his Last Dance: www.nytimes.com/athletic/643...

It was right there for the Pacers Friday night — a win that could’ve changed this franchise forever. Then the team that’s feasted in crunch time throughout the playoffs crumbled. Now, it gets really hard. Column from Game 4: www.nytimes.com/athletic/642...

They don't pay the luxury tax. Their star is a lightning rod for criticism. They're stubborn about their style. They don't give a crap who gets credit. That is who the Pacers are. Now they're 2 wins from a title. Column from Game 3: www.nytimes.com/athletic/642...

A few years ago, I asked Jim Irsay about passing down the Colts to his daughters. "I want them to be who they are. They've known this league since they were in their cribs. They're intelligent. They're good listeners. They're motivated. It's truly a blessing, and rare that it works out this well."

Jim Irsay thought about this a lot and planned for it. He wanted all 3 daughters to have equal share in ownership — and most importantly, for the team to stay in the family. Carlie Irsay-Gordon has been a heavily involved exec for several years; was expected she took the helm.

Details of the Colts ownership transition, per the team: Carlie Irsay-Gordon becomes owner + CEO. Essentially, she's the boss. Casey Foyt becomes owner + executive VP. Kalen Jackson becomes owner, chief brand officer and president of the Colts Foundation.

Two days, one city, two championship events separated by just seven miles and juxtaposed in scope and spirit. The Women’s College World Series. The NBA Finals. All happening in Oklahoma City. http://dlvr.it/TLCfJ0

A proud basketball state is having a moment. In Indiana, hoops are as hot as ever. New at @theathletic.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/640...

Right after the highest peak of his NFL life, Sean McVay was at a personal low. He didn’t know himself. But Chris Petersen saw him. And his first instinct was to help. How one small, kind act from a stranger led to a deep bond and reset McVay’s career: www.nytimes.com/athletic/639...

Pablo Torre shared how his time as a Sports Illustrated fact checker has influenced his career.

Since its launch 19 months ago, “Pablo Torre Finds Out” has leaned into “adversarial journalism.” No story has generated more traction than Torre's reporting on Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson. More on how it catapulted PTFO into the mainstream: http://dlvr.it/TL4NLw

From @theathletic.bsky.social: After leaving ESPN, Pablo Torre is carving out a spot in the sports media landscape. He has his own show and a recurring seat on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” But none of it happens if Torre doesn’t bomb the LSAT his senior year of college.

Pablo Torre had to leave ESPN to carve out a spot in the media landscape that fits him, mixing the silly — even the salacious — with the smart. Here's how the journalist has been able to cut through the noise with his own show, “Pablo Torre Finds Out”: http://dlvr.it/TL47fH

THE PACERS HAVE ADVANCED TO THE NBA FINALS 🏆 Indiana will make its first Final appearance since 2000 after beating the Knicks in six games. The last time they made it? They also beat the Knicks in six games.

His show is blowing up. The awards keep coming. And now Jordon Hudson is attacking his credibility. But there is WAY more to @pablo.show's story — and this moment — than you know. www.nytimes.com/athletic/632...

His show is blowing up. The awards keep coming. And now Jordon Hudson is attacking his credibility. But there is WAY more to @pablo.show's story — and this moment — than you know. www.nytimes.com/athletic/632...

Indy 500 weekend always makes me think of Robin Miller, whose life should be a movie: » Beat up by AJ Foyt » Called "a scrawny m—f—er" by Jeff George » Snuck strippers into the Speedway » Almost killed himself in a race car www.nytimes.com/athletic/198...

It was the one question I'd get from NFL people more than any other: what was Jim Irsay **really** like to cover? Well, let me tell you ... www.nytimes.com/athletic/637...

"Steward — I like that word so much better than owner." Jim Irsay was many things: football lifer, eternal optimist, relentless giver. He was ruthlessly competitive. He was combative. He was kind. The NFL will never see another like him: www.nytimes.com/athletic/520...

It came with the territory. @zakkeefer.bsky.social was a Colts beat writer for 10 years. The Irsay Experience was part of the gig.

Randall Cunningham used to crave the pressure and the spotlight — embracing the fear that came with it. He finds that same feeling now as a pastor in Nevada. His road to this place? It wouldn't be possible without the trials that shaped him. http://dlvr.it/TKYyCY

At his peak, Randall Cunningham was the most dynamic weapon the QB position had ever seen. “Think Lamar Jackson before Lamar Jackson,” former Eagles tight end Keith Jackson says. He paved the way for future Eagles QBs in the process. http://dlvr.it/TKZPWC

A gem by @zakkeefer.bsky.social. For a lot of people of a certain age, Randall Cunningham is the ultimate “what-if.” What if those Eagles teams gave a damn about offense? What if he played today? On and on. This is the story of what those questions created. www.nytimes.com/athletic/632...

For years, when Randall Cunningham would go back to Philadelphia for games, the ex-Eagles QB would go in disguise, not wanting to be bothered, not wanting to relive the past. Something changed at this year's Super Bowl. The Ultimate Weapon's long path to peace: www.nytimes.com/athletic/632...

All 257 picks are in the books ✅ After an eventful weekend in Green Bay — highlighted by one of the more stunning draft falls in recent memory — here’s a look at the notable winners and losers from the 2025 NFL Draft.

"Catharsis, thy name is Rory. The old lad won the 2025 Masters in the most patent way possible, by outwitting an army of demons and finally meeting his place in history." Read @bfquinn.bsky.social on Rory finally getting it done at Augusta: www.nytimes.com/athletic/627...

"For Career Grand Slam" was diabolical