NFL owners reportedly concerned about Commanders sale

Nov 5, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder watches pregame warmups against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Snyder has yet to enter into an agreement to sell the Washington Commanders, and some of his fellow NFL team owners are reportedly growing concerned about the lack of progress toward a deal.

AJ Perez of Front Office Sports reported on Monday that some NFL owners are worried that Snyder could decide to not sell the Commanders. It has been nearly four months since Snyder began exploring a sale, and Perez says there have been indications that the process is at a “critical juncture.”

One of the big issues is whether Snyder will consider selling to Jeff Bezos. The Amazon founder is worth more than $100 billion, and he could easily come up with the 30 percent in liquid funds that the NFL Constitution and Bylaws mandates when a team is sold. However, there have been reports that Snyder will refuse to sell to Bezos.

Bezos owns the Washington Post, which has been the source of many unflattering stories about Snyder.

Snyder is said to be seeking $7 billion for the Commanders. The Denver Broncos sold for $4.65 billion last year, which was a record price for an American sports franchise. That makes it seem highly unlikely that Snyder would get $7 billion for his team, especially if he refuses to allow Bezos to be part of the mix.

Perez reports that Bezos is still part of the process and that Snyder might be playing hardball to drive up the price.

If Snyder backs out of selling the Commanders, his fellow owners have the power to force him out. That would require 24 of 32 owners to vote to force a sale. It does not sound like NFL owners want to go that route.