NFL Rumors: Commanders to Be Sold for 'Closer' to $6B; Vote Could Be Held in May

Things seem to be trending in the direction of a Washington Commanders sale before the 2023 season.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported there is "a good level of confidence that we'll get a vote in May" in regards to embattled owner Dan Snyder selling the team. Fellow league owners would vote on the sale after the buyer was approved by the finance committee and the structure of the deal was finalized.

Breer noted Snyder wanted $7 billion at the start of the process but has come down to $6.5 billion, according to one team president.

"And as for where it actually lands, it sounds like the final figure will be closer to $6 billion, which is a healthy distance north of the $4.65 billion the Bowlen Family Trust got for the Broncos," Breer wrote.

The Broncos sold for a record price for a North American sports franchise just last year, but Snyder appears primed to break that whenever the sale is completed.

Forbes listed the Commanders as the sixth-most valuable NFL franchise last year with a projected value of $5.6 billion.

ESPN's Adam Schefter and Brian Windhorst reported last month there are multiple bids of $6 billion to purchase the team. One of those bids came from a group led by Philadelphia 76ers governor Josh Harris and billionaire Mitchell Rales that also includes basketball legend Magic Johnson.

The other came from Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos, and both were fully funded offers.

According to the report, there is also interest from Houston Rockets governor Tilman Fertitta and an anonymous group that toured Washington's facilities.

Snyder led a group that purchased the team for $800 million in 1999 but has explored a potential sale in the face of multiple investigations into the franchise's workplace culture and his own conduct.

Attorney Beth Wilkinson conducted the first investigation and discovered a culture of misconduct that included sexual harassment and bullying. Washington was fined $10 million as a result, and Snyder was forced to give over day-to-day operations to his wife, Tanya.

Attorney Mary Jo White is conducting a second investigation, and Mark Maske, Nicki Jhabvala and Liz Clarke of the Washington Post reported last month Snyder has "delayed his participation in the probe for several months by raising concerns about fairness and due process, seeking the questions in advance, trying to limit the scope of the questions and citing scheduling conflicts."

As for the potential sale, it will eventually need to be approved by three-quarters of the NFL's owners.