New NFL Rumors on Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook Buying Seahawks Amid Sale Process

Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook are the subject of conflicting reports about the interested bidders early on in the Seattle Seahawks sale process.

Front Office Sports' Ben Horney initially reported Zuckerberg and Cook's links to the process, adding there are at least two other parties weighing a deal to become majority owners, though their identity is unknown at this stage.

He added that the Seahawks could sell for between $8 billion and $10 billion, which would smash the record-setting sale of the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion.

However, Dylan Byers of Puck reported both men are not considering bids for the franchise:

The Seahawks announced on Feb. 18 the estate of late owner Paul Allen was officially looking for buyers.

Allen died in 2018, and his will called for his family to eventually divest its stake in the Seahawks, Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Sounders. A new ownership group led by Tom Dundon purchased the Blazers at a valuation of $4.25 billion earlier this year.

The Allen estate is looking to offload the Seahawks at an ideal time.

The valuations of major sports franchises are going up across the board. The San Diego Padres will set a new MLB if their $3.9 billion purchase by Jose E. Feliciano and wife Kwanza Jones officially goes through.

Seattle is also coming off winning a Super Bowl title and appears to be set up well for the years ahead. The reigning NFL champions sit first in Bleacher Report's post-draft power rankings.

A price tag upwards of $10 billion will limit the candidate pool, but the ownership search could expand in the days and weeks ahead.