The National Football League is putting its support behind mental health. On Tuesday, Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the NFL Foundation will donate $10,000 to Kicking The Stigma, a mental health initiative led by the Indianapolis Colts and the Irsay family.
The announcement was made at the start of the annual NFL Women’s Forum during the NFL Combine. Colts Owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Colts Owner & Chief Brand Officer and President of the Indianapolis Colts Foundation Kalen Jackson joined a panel discussion with Pat McAfee when the news was shared.
“They have done incredible work here with mental health and it’s called Kicking the Stigma,” Goodell said. “It’s an amazing program that makes an amazing impact, so we’re proud of them and the NFL Foundation wants to start that off by giving them $10,000.”
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NFL Foundation Supports Mental Health Awareness Initiative
Kicking The Stigma was launched in 2020 by late Colts owner Jim Irsay. The goal was simple but powerful: help people talk openly about mental health and make it easier to get care.
Since its launch, the initiative has committed more than $32 million toward mental health awareness, research and services, per Colts. Of that total, $7.2 million has been distributed in Action Grants that fund programs and research through nonprofit organizations. Applications for the 2026 Action Grants are open through February 28.
The program was created in response to serious mental health challenges in Indiana and beyond. According to the Colts, one in four people in Indiana will face a mental health disorder during their lifetime. Among children ages 6 to 17, one in six experiences a mental health disorder each year. These numbers show why programs like Kicking The Stigma matter.
The Irsay family has also donated $3 million to create the Irsay Institute at Indiana University. The institute focuses on researching mental health and finding ways to reduce stigma around seeking help.
In July 2025, the Colts were honored as the 2025 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year at the ESPY Awards for their work through Kicking The Stigma. They became the first NFL team to win the award for mental health efforts and only the third NFL team ever to receive the honor.
The impact of Kicking The Stigma has stretched beyond Indianapolis. In August 2025, the Green Bay Packers joined the Colts during a joint practice to support the campaign. Coaches from both teams wore “Mental Health is Health” shirts. Players and staff wrote thank-you notes to mental health professionals across Indiana. They also assembled more than 2,000 Narcan kits for Overdose Lifeline, an organization supported by Kicking The Stigma, according to Acme Packing Company.
The initiative’s website reports that more than 615 million people worldwide live with a mental health condition, and about 60% do not receive the care they need. That gap in care is one reason the program continues to grow.
As Kicking The Stigma continues to accept grant applications and expand its reach, the NFL Foundation’s donation adds momentum. The message from Tuesday’s event was clear and easy to understand: football is about more than the game. It’s also about supporting people off the field.
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