How close are we to the Washington Commanders being sold? Earlier this week, a report hinted at Washington’s sale being completed by the NFL owner’s meetings next month. That backs up reports from JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington and A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports last month.
Finlay named Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris as a name to watch in the purchase for the Commanders.
Now, according to a report from Ben Standig and Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic, Harris visited Washington’s Ashburn training facility recently. This doesn’t mean that Harris is the leader in the clubhouse to purchase the Commanders, but does confirm he is in the mix.
While it was initially reported that the first round of bids came in around Christmas, The Athletic stated that’s not the case. Those were called “non-binding indications of interest.” That means they aren’t officially bids but come with a sales price.
That round of “bidding” topped out at $6.3 billion, while owner Dan Snyder reportedly seeks $7 billion. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos wasn’t involved at that time, which many believe was strategic, and he does indeed remain interested in purchasing the Commanders. It remains to be seen if Snyder will sell to Bezos, though.
In regards to Snyder’s reported animosity toward Bezos, comes this quote from Standig’s story:
“I am pretty certain Bezos is somewhere out there,” said one investment banker. “As much as everyone says Dan hates Bezos, if Bezos pays $200 million more, Dan will give him a piggyback ride around the stadium.”
It’s all about the money. Snyder would likely be satisfied if he made Bezos pay one more dollar than the next-highest bidder in an effort to feel like he “won.” In reality, considering he paid $800 million for the franchise in 1999, he’s already won despite being vilified by the franchise’s fans.
As for Harris touring Washington’s facility, he toured the Denver Broncos’ facility first last summer before the franchise was eventually sold to the Walton-Penner family.
Harris has local ties, as he graduated from The Field School in Washington, D.C., and was raised in Montgomery County, Md.