Report: Jeff Bezos 'Remains in the Mix' to Buy Commanders; Snyder Eyes $7B Sale Price

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos "remains in the mix" to buy the Washington Commanders from Daniel Snyder, according to A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, despite reports that Snyder isn't interested in selling to Bezos.

The potential sale of the Commanders is moving slowly, with Perez reporting that "bids haven't come close to the $7 billion figure sources previously told FOS [Snyder] is seeking."

One source told Perez that Snyder's seeming disinterest in selling to Bezos was nothing more than "a ploy to get a high bid out of the Amazon founder." Folks around the NFL have "encouraged" Bezos to stay "engaged" in the bidding process, however.

While Snyder could decline to sell the team, that would likely earn the ire of the NFL and its owners given the near-constant issues surrounding his ownership. Perez reported: "There are indications that the sales process, which is now 117 days old, is at a critical juncture. Snyder and Bank of America—the firm hired to facilitate a sale—have narrowed the list of bidders down in recent weeks."

The highest bid has been $6.3 billion, per Perez. Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reported that Houston Rockets governor Tilman Fertitta offered $5.5 billion for the franchise, while Perez noted Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris was also in the running for the franchise, though his bid was unknown.

Snyder and the Commanders have been the subject of investigations into workplace harassment, and the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of Virginia opened an investigation into potential financial improprieties within the organization.

Snyder's ownership has become a source of regular bad press for the NFL. It isn't hard to imagine the league and its other owners will work hard behind the scenes to put an end to his tenure.