Last Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the NFL had fined the Seahawks $5 million for non-compliance with ownership requirements, due to the lingering failure of Jody Allen to sell the team, as mandated by the terms of her late brother Paul’s estate. The NFL repeatedly denied that the Seahawks were fined.
The truth, as we suspected, is somewhere in the middle.
The league, we’re told, agreed not to proceed with the financial penalty in exchange for a commitment to sell the team.
And when the sale happens (the process is expected to begin soon), it’s currently believed that the high bidder will land in the range of $9 billion to $11 billion.
That would shatter the record price for an NFL franchise. In 2023, Josh Harris bought the Commanders for $6.05 billion.
So who will buy the team? Most speculation will center on Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. However, after living in Seattle for nearly 30 years, he has moved to Miami. Folks in the know don’t believe he’ll make a play for the franchise.
Instead, the thinking is that a currently (and relatively) unknown billionaire will emerge with the biggest bag of cash and acquire ownership to the team that is closing in on hoisting the newest Lombardi Trophy.
