A day after reports surfaced that the Snyder family was nearing a deal to sell the Commanders to a group of buyers led by 76ers and Devils co-owner Josh Harris, Washington coach Ron Rivera offered his concise view of the seismic news on Friday.
“Kind of relief,” Rivera said, per Jarrett Bell of USA TODAY.
Rivera, who’s been the team’s coach since 2020, said that although the sale is not yet final, a resolution to the issue offers clarity and an ease of tension after so much time has passed in which the franchise’s ownership future was clouded in uncertainty.
“It really seemed like a load was lifted, because everybody was on pins and needles for the last couple of months,” Rivera said. “You kind of wondered what was going to happen.”
“Then we got right back to the draft meetings,” he added. “We’ll still be business as usual.”
The prospective new ownership group also includes former NBA superstar Magic Johnson. The sale price is reportedly just over $6 billion.
Another group, led by Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos, is believed to still be interested in acquiring the Commanders, according to ESPN. Any offer the Snyder family ends up accepting will need approval from 24 of the 32 NFL owners to become official. If the $6 billion price is met, it would shatter the record for the highest price ever paid for a North American sports franchise, topping the $4.6 billion that the Broncos were sold for in 2022.
