Owners of Dolphins, Commanders Could Face Removal

There are reportedly serious discussions among NFL team owners as to whether Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder should be forced to sell their teams.

Ross allegedly incentivized losing games, and Snyder was accused of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct. Each owner’s removal would require a vote from three-fourths of the 31 other owners, a league source confirmed to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport.

The allegations against Ross came to light in Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL over its hiring practices and for racial discrimination. 

• In 2019, Ross allegedly offered Flores up to $100,000 for every loss, aiming for a better draft spot. The league has launched an investigation into the claims, but Ross has denied the allegations.
• Flores was fired despite leading Miami to back-to-back winning seasons. 

Snyder’s team was fined $10 million in July after a 10-month workplace misconduct investigation due to allegations of inappropriate behavior. More have since surfaced, and the league said it will conduct a new investigation. The initial investigation’s full findings have not been released.

PFT Live’s Mike Florio reported “there is a sense among ownership that the time has come for Dan Snyder to move on.”

Ownership Timeline

Since 2008, Ross has purchased 95% of the Dolphins for a total of $1 billion. The team is now worth $3.42 billion. Snyder purchased the Commanders, now valued at $4.2 billion, in 1999 for $800 million. He bought the remaining shares for $875 million last year.