The 2022-2023 NFL season is at a fever pitch, with the AFC and NFC championships ahead next week. And while most everyone is talking about the final four teams that remain: the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the world's richest men reportedly has a different team on his mind.
Like many other NFL franchises, the Washington Commanders have suffered from a lot of setbacks on the field.
First there was the season-ending 2018 injury of then-quarterback Alex Smith, followed by a string of losses in subsequent seasons (the Commanders set a league record for most losses in the opening 2019 season). The Commanders have been publicly dealing with difficulties off the field, too. Owner Dan Snyder has been accused of mismanagement, allowing for a toxic work culture and sexual misconduct to take a foothold in the team offices. The NFL opened an investigation into Snyder to identify his part in the allegations. So far, Snyder has been fined $10 million and had to appear in front of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight for questioning.
The Commanders are in a league of their own when it comes to troubles and allegations of misconduct. Some might think the team is untouchable, plagued by too much off-field drama for it to be worth the hassle. But the Commanders have something no other team in the NFL has right now:
A price tag.
The Washington Commanders May Be For Sale Soon
Following the Snyder allegations, Dan and his wife Tara announced in Nov. that they hired Bank of America (BAC) to help them explore a potential sale of the team. It's not clear whether the Snyders would give up all or some of their stake, but a sale in the NFL is rare and even the slightest mention one beckons rich and powerful ownership hopefuls like sharks.
One of those rich and powerful players is none other than Amazon (AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos.
Only issue is, Bezos would probably have to free up some capital if he wished to close what would surely be a multi-billion dollar deal.
"Chatter is growing that Amazon’s billionaire founder is looking to clear the way for a purchase of the Washington Commanders by selling the Washington Post — with speculation boosted last month by leaked video of publisher Fred Ryan disclosing layoff plans at an unruly town hall meeting," the New York Post reported on Monday.
Bezos bought the Post for $250 million in 2013.
Others Are Reportedly Interested In The Commanders
Bezos is hardly the only person interested in buying the Washington Commanders. Other purported suitors include former Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg and rapper Jay-Z, who could partner with Bezos to buy the team.
If Snyder does sell, the Commanders are expected to fetch nearly $7 billion -- possibly more if there's a bidding war.
For what it's worth, Snyder doesn't think the team should go for anything below $7 billion.
"I think Bezos' people could go to Dan [Snyder] and say as a gesture of goodwill, 'We are selling the paper,'" a close source close told the New York Post. "I think that would go a long way with Dan."
Other reports claim Snyder didn't want to sell to Bezos in the past, perhaps because of an initial bid that came in below $7 billion.
Either way, selling a newspaper that may drag Bezos' time and profits may be a step in the right direction. Official word is that Bezos has not put the paper up for sale yet.
