The sale of the Commanders is “soon to be complete,” according to multiple sources speaking to NBC Sports Washington.
How fast?
That’s unclear, and while the NFL may not want big news during the playoffs, an announcement could come as early as March.
The league holds its annual general meeting at the end of March, although the new league year opens at 4pm on March 15. Ideally, a new owner would be in place before that date so Washington can hit the ground running during free agency.
There is also news about Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Early reports suggested that he was a prime candidate to buy the Commanders, although that no longer appears to be the case. Bezos did not make a formal offer for the Commanders when proposals were due before Christmas, sources told NBC Sports Washington. Front Office Sports was the first to report the news.
That doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility of Bezos’ offer coming later, though multiple sources said Dan and Tanya Snyder would prefer not to sell their franchise to the Amazon founder.
Still, Bezos has vast wealth in a way that no other potential Commanders ownership group can bring to the table, and some sources say they are not counting on acquiring Bezos until a sale to another group is finalized.
Some with knowledge of the league have suggested that Bezos could be a candidate to buy the Seattle Seahawks if or when that team becomes available. Majority owner Paul Allen passed away in October 2018, and in the time since his sister Jody Allen took over the organization. In a statement from Julyshe said no sale was imminent and that a substantial asset like her brother’s could take “10 to 20 years” to sell off.
More news on the sale indicates that Todd Boehly has pulled out of the bid for the Commanders, according to multiple sources.
Boehly was rumored to be among the first non-Bezos candidates for the team, having graduated from the Bethesda, Md., school. Landon is also active in professional sports ownership.
That leaves Josh Harris, the D.C. native and owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, as perhaps the top contender to buy the Commanders.
In May, Pro Football Talk reported that a Harris-led group was willing to pay $5 billion for the Denver Broncos, though the group decided not to enter a bidding war against potential owners of the Walton-Penner Group. That group had the backing of Walmart’s fortunes, and in turn, the Harris group decided to focus on the next potential NFL ownership opportunity.
The sale of the Broncos was approved by the league in August, and the Chiefs announced on Nov. 2 that the Snyder family would “consider potential transactions.”
Furthermore, there is a strong belief among the remaining ownership contenders that a return to the RFK Stadium field in Washington is a real possibility. The Commanders currently play at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., and some ownership groups believe they could build a viable practice facility at the current stadium site and return to the city to play games.
The team’s current practice location is the OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park in Ashburn. Va., could fetch a big sale price if the team relocates its headquarters. This land is located among a number of important data centers and near a major fiber optic line that is crucial for global computing needs.
The team had previously been clear that Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC were candidates for a new stadium, and at various times it appeared that real progress had been made with each jurisdiction.
A spokesman for Commanders would not comment on any potential transaction.