Colts owner Jim Irsay receiving treatment for serious illness

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been noticeably absent from the public eye recently, and we now know why.

The Colts announced in a statement on Tuesday that Irsay has been receiving treatment for a “severe respiratory illness.”

“Jim Irsay is currently being treated for a severe respiratory illness,” the team said. “While this unfortunately means he won’t be able to perform with his band this week in Los Angeles, he is receiving excellent care and looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible. We’ll have no additional information at this time and we ask that you respect the privacy of Jim and his family as he recovers.”

ESPN’s Stephen Holder noted that the Colts have faced questions recently about Irsay’s whereabouts. The 64-year-old is typically very visible, but he was not available to the media over the past few weeks as the Colts tried to make a playoff push.

Indianapolis fell short of reaching the postseason with its 23-19 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday.