Colts owner Jim Irsay makes first public appearance since severe illness, per report

The longtime executive was at Colts camp

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay took the field Sunday for training camp, marking his first public appearance since being found unresponsive after a suspected overdose in December, according to ESPN.

Irsay, who turned 65 in June, explained to reporters that he's currently recovering from a surgery that will prevent him from walking for the near future.

"It's frustrating because the left leg just doesn't have the push off yet that I need," Irsay said, per ESPN. "I can stand up and those sort of things, but in terms of walking and that sort of thing, it's hard to say exactly how far I am away from that. But it's not far. God knows I've been working hard just to bring myself back."

Irsay was first hospitalized on Dec. 8, when Carmel Police records revealed emergency responders found the longtime NFL executive unconscious in his Indiana home. The police report noted that Irsay was administered a dose of naloxone, a medication commonly used to reverse opioid overdoses. The Colts later announced in January that Irsay was receiving treatment for a severe respiratory illness.

"On the mend," Irsay later posted on social media. "Grateful for all the messages of love and support."

Asked in April about a potential overdose, Irsay downplayed the notion while acknowledging his documented history of addiction.

"I've had some episodes in my past," he told ESPN. "It's natural that people's minds can run away and exaggerate."