Christmas could come in the spring for many fans of the Washington Commanders. According to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington, the sale of the Commanders expects to happen soon, possibly by March.
Washington, D.C. native Josh Harris has emerged as the “most likely” candidate to purchase the Commanders. Harris owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. Last year, he led a group that prepared to pay $5 billion for another NFL team, the Denver Broncos. However, they bowed out to avoid a bidding war with the Walter-Penner Group, who ultimately bought the Broncos for an NFL-record $4.65 billion.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is likely out of the running to buy the team. Although, he could make a late play. However, previous reports state Commanders’ owner Dan Snyder has no interest in selling the team Bezos. Snyder “detests” the Bezos-owned Washington Post. The newspaper has launched numerous reports that shined a negative light on Snyder and the Commanders. Those reports have helped spark multiple investigations into the current owner and organization and the call for Snyder to sell the team.
Another perceived favorite, Todd Boehly, pulled out of the bidding for the Commanders, according to Finlay. Boehly is an American businessman who co-owns Premier League club Chelsea and is part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and L.A. Sparks, among other businesses.
Dan Snyder and his wife Tanya began exploring options of selling the Commanders in November. The couple hired Bank of America Securities. The first round of bidding was last month. Offers have not reached previous expectations of “well north of $7 billion,” but the team expects to sell from $5.5 to $6.5 billion.