Alex Rodriguez and his fiancee Jennifer Lopez are leading a group that is trying to purchase the New York Mets, and the NFL community is apparently well represented in their bid as well.
ESPN’s Vaughn McClure revealed on Monday that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and former NFL stars Brian Urlacher, DeMarco Murray and Joe Thomas are some of the investors in Rodriguez’s and Lopez’s group. Some NBA players are also investing, including Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal and Denver Nuggets center Mason Plumlee.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have such high-quality individuals as part of our group,” Rodriguez told ESPN.
Kelce called the chance to become a part owner of the Mets a “crazy opportunity,” while Urlacher said he is proud to be a part of such a noteworthy group of current and former athletes.
“Being a former athlete and having a chance to be a part of a group trying to purchase a professional team, it’s pretty cool,” Urlacher said. “It’s especially cool to be involved with Alex. Alex is the man. You’ve got Kelce, Joe Thomas, DeMarco Murray. It’s great to be in a group with them.”
A-Rod and J-Lo have contributed $300 million of their own money. The initial bid from the group was $1.7 billion last week, with billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen reportedly bidding $2 billion. Cohen is still considered the favorite to buy the Mets even though he had a deal in place with owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon that went sour earlier this year due to a number of issues.
Rodriguez and Lopez reportedly have at least one billionaire in their investment group, so it would not be a surprise if they increase their bid.
