Colts owner Jim Irsay says he's 'doing great' following leg surgery

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said in an interview Friday that he is "doing great" following leg surgery.

The comments, made to Fox 59/CBS 4's Mike Chappell, are Irsay's first made publicly in an interview since it was announced in January that he was being treated for a severe respiratory illness.

"I've appreciated all of the prayers and concerns," a hospitalized Irsay told Chappell. "It's a long road and you have to be patient. The great news is everything is going well.''

Irsay said on Friday that the leg procedure was done in order to improve his mobility, adding that he has undergone 26 surgeries in the past seven years.

"I'm getting out of the hospital in a couple of days, maybe by Monday,'' Irsay said. "You just have to have patience. It's going to take some rehab, which I've already been doing to get me going. Just gotta get my strength and mobility back. Everything else is going great.''

Irsay previously wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Feb. 6 that he was "on the mend."

Irsay also announced on Friday that he will present longtime Colts star defender Dwight Freeney when he is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.

The 64-year-old Irsay began running the team's day-to-day operations in 1995 after his father, Robert, suffered a stroke. When his father died in 1997, he won a legal battle with his stepmother to keep the franchise.

Following the Colts' move from Baltimore to Indy in 1984, Irsay became the league's youngest general manager at age 25.

The Colts have won one Super Bowl and two AFC titles during Irsay's tenure.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.