Report: NFL unlikely to force Dan Snyder to sell franchise over harassment allegations

Washington’s NFL team may face league discipline for the conduct alleged in a Thursday Washington Post story, but it does not appear Dan Snyder is in serious jeopardy of losing the team.

As previously reported, the NFL will consider fining the organization and handing down discipline against individuals named in the story about an alleged culture of sexual harassment. The league has already called the allegations “disturbing” and stated that it would consider discipline once the team’s external investigation concludes.

There is another option: the NFL’s bylaws provide a means for the league and fellow owners to attempt to force the sale of a team if the owner is found to have engaged in “conduct detrimental to the welfare of the league.” According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, owners are unlikely to use this option.

Snyder’s behavior is in contrast to other owners who have been directly accused of misconduct. Those owners were ultimately made to sell due to the nature of the allegations against them. Snyder has not been directly accused of inappropriate behavior, which is cited as the likely reason more severe action from other owners is not currently coming.

There was significant speculation that the contents of the report might be enough to force Snyder out. Ultimately, in the eyes of the league and his fellow owners, while he may have been far too permissive of a toxic culture within the Washington organization, he wasn’t a direct focus of the harassment allegations. That’s enough to save him.