Jim Irsay (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has denied he was hospitalized because of an overdose.

Irsay will not be in the team’s draft room later this week due to his medical ordeal, though he will be available remotely.

“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,” he told ESPN this week. “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.“

The 64-year-old was hospitalized on December 8 after he was found unresponsive, cold to the touch, and gasping for air, while he also had a weak pulse. Officers chalked it up to a suspected overdose. Irsay claimed he was being treated for a severe respiratory illness a month later after being quizzed on his whereabouts.

While a police report states the Colts owner suffered an overdose, he’s told FOX59 that’s not the case.

“It wasn’t an overdose,” he claimed. “I don’t know why when you have your name in the paper in the past, people throw that out there quickly. I don’t pay attention to it all that much, but I don’t think it’s fair.’’

The businessman also said the incident was the result of a hematoma stemming from a leg injury, which he continues to recover from and will prevent him from joining team executives for the draft.

Jim Irsay Plans To Be Involved In The Draft

Despite the struggles with his health, Jim Irsay has remained in the loop where it pertains to team affairs. He said it would be no different for the upcoming draft and that he would be connected to general manager Chris Ballard during the event.

“We defer to Chris in the end,” he noted. “I’ve always kind of sat back and watched.“