Do We Need More Women in Football? Cam Newton Applauds Carlie Irsay-Gordon as Colts Thrive Under Her Leadership!.
In a league long dominated by men, the NFL is experiencing a quiet revolution, thanks to the rise of women like Carlie Irsay-Gordon. As the new CEO of the Indianapolis Colts, following her father Jim Irsay’s passing in May 2025, Carlie has shattered the traditional mold of NFL ownership. Where most owners prefer to stay in the luxury suites, Carlie is found on the sidelines, headset on, notepad in hand, fully immersed in the game’s strategy and decisions.
Her involvement doesn’t stop at just observing from the sidelines. She actively participates in meetings, questions decisions, and holds her football executives accountable—all while believing that true leadership comes from a deep understanding of the game. And this approach has clearly paid off.
Under the leadership of head coach Shane Steichen, the Colts have surged to a 7-1 record, their best start in over a decade. They now lead the NFL in total points (270) and scoring efficiency, with quarterback Daniel Jones thriving in Indianapolis, throwing 13 touchdowns to just three interceptions. Jonathan Taylor has returned to his All-Pro form, and Michael Pittman Jr. is wreaking havoc on opposing defenses.
But for many, the success on the field is not just a coincidence. It’s seen as a direct result of Irsay-Gordon’s active and hands-on leadership. And even former NFL MVP Cam Newton has taken notice. On a recent episode of his 4th & 1 podcast, Newton spoke about the change he’s seeing in Indianapolis and credited Carlie for her transformative role in what ownership can look like in the NFL.
"I’ve been seeing Carlie make her presence felt — yes, very much so," Newton said. "Not a lot of times do head coaches want the involvement of upper management because they may feel they’re being micromanaged… but if I’m paying you, you don’t get to tell me how I should run my team."
Newton admitted that at first, he was hesitant to embrace her involvement, worried about micromanagement. But the Colts’ unprecedented success under her leadership has completely changed his perspective.
And then Newton posed a question that is starting to echo across the NFL:
“Do we need more women in football?… Does a woman’s presence provide a different element to not just football, but to sports … a male-dominated commodity … that we probably didn’t even know we needed?”
Newton didn’t stop there, offering a thoughtful answer: “Women are more detailed, more organized, more sharp… And with the addition of Carlie Irsay-Gordon, she’s brought a different culture to the table… the culture has definitely shifted, for sure.”
It’s impossible to deny the impact Carlie Irsay-Gordon has had on the Indianapolis Colts and the NFL as a whole. The Colts are on fire, and at the heart of that success is an owner who refuses to just be a figurehead. Carlie is rewriting the rules for what it means to be an NFL owner—and it’s leading to victory after victory for Indianapolis.
Is it time for more women to have a say in the future of football? The Colts’ success might just be the proof we need.
How potentially losing Alex Bregman impacts the Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox were eliminated in the AL Wild Card Series by their hated rivals, the New York Yankees, earlier in October. Following the conclusion of their season, there was a lot of focus on whether or not star third baseman Alex Bregman would opt out of his contract.
Two weeks later, Bregman made it official. After signing a three-year, $120 million contract in the offseason, the three-time All-Star flexed his opt-out clause and chose to return to free agency in hopes of signing a longer-term deal.
On Monday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic listed Bregman as one of the top 50 impending free agents, and even had several fits for him that were not the Red Sox.
"He will be sought-after in free agency as the industry views him as a winning player who can contribute on both sides of the ball and perform on the biggest stage in the biggest moments. He’ll likely seek a long-term contract instead of settling for a shorter-term deal like he did last year. By opting out of his deal with the Red Sox, he’s walking away from a guaranteed $41.67 million in each of the next two seasons," Bowden wrote.
What losing Alex Bregman would mean for the Red Sox
Obviously, losing Bregman would be a big blow to the Red Sox as they try to bounce back from their wild-card series loss. This would leave a major hole at third base that would need to be filled.
Bregman slashed .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs. 62 RBI, 3.5 WAR and an .821 OPS during the regular season. Not having that presence in the lineup would be detrimental to the Red Sox.
He is also a clubhouse leader, so they'll miss his veteran presence if he goes.
There are plenty of options the Red Sox can choose from if they do lose him. Before signing Bregman last offseason, they were discussing a potential trade for Nolan Arenado with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Arenado even expressed interest in going to Boston, with them being on his original list of six teams he would waive his no-trade clause for.
They could also dive into the free agent market for help. Japanese star Munetaka Murakami will be posted this winter, and Eugenio Suarez, who helped the Seattle Mariners reach the ALCS, will also be available, and at 34 years old, they may be able to get him on a shorter-term deal.
Still, not having Bregman would hurt, as he became a staple of the clubhouse in just one year in Boston. While they can replace his production, the two-time World Series champion's veteran presence is going to be almost impossible to replicate.
NFL Insider Puts Broncos QB Bo Nix in ‘Tier Below’ Other First Round Picks
For a long time, ESPN’s Ben Solak has made it clear how little he thinks of
Continually, Solak has put Nix behind a group that includes Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and New England Patriots
Now, despite the last 2 weeks of Nix playing at as high of a level as any quarterback in the
This time, it came with
Solak put Maye at No. 1, followed by Daniels and Williams before inserting a “Tier Break” between those quarterbacks followed by Nix, New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler, Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Only Rattler, who was just benched in favor of rookie Tyler Shough, was taken outside the first round.
Here are their records as starting quarterbacks in the NFL headed into Week 9 of the 2025 regular season, in the order Solak ranked them:
- Maye (9-11)
- Daniels (14-8)
- Williams (9-15)
- Nix (16-9)
- Rattler (1-13)
- Penix (4-5)
- McCarthy (1-1)
From that, we can discern winning and losing don’t really figure in Solak’s rankings. Which means it’s safe to assume this is just a case of Solak capping for Maye on a level not seen since Jennifer Jason Leigh copied Bridget Fonda’s hairdo in Single White Female.
Not First Slight of Nix by ESPN’s Solak
Following the 2024 season, Solak used hot-take analytics to justify leaving Nix off his All-Rookie Team in favor of Maye.
Solak did this despite Nix outpacing Maye in every important statistical category for a quarterback and leading Denver to the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season —
Maye was the second team quarterback behind Daniels, who was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
“It was very difficult to exclude Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, who improved over the course of the season and looks like a long-term starter,” Solak wrote on January 15. “While Nix outproduced Maye in raw stats, it is worth noting that Maye was better by success rate and first down/touchdown rate, indicating a high level of efficiency — despite getting pressured on 37.3% of his dropbacks compared to Nix’s 28.0%. Nix ripped off more explosive plays, but given his superior pass protection and receiving corps, that is not surprising. Both look like franchise guys, but Maye did it in a much worse environment and gets the second-team spot.”
Of the 4 rookies who became full time starters in 2024 — Maye, Williams, Nix and Daniels — only Nix and Daniels led their teams to the playoffs.
Out of those 4, Nix ended the longest playoff drought, guiding the Broncos to the postseason for the first time in 9 years.
