The Seattle Seahawks will be sold at some point — but it may not come soon due to specific financial implications.
Many around the NFL believe that Jody Allen — who has controlled the Seahawks since 2018 through the estate of her late brother, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen — will not explore selling the team until at least May 2024, according to the Washington Post.
In May, a referendum stating that 10% of any sale of the team would need to be paid to the state of Washington will no longer apply. The terms of that deal funded what is now Lumen Field.
Jody Allen is obligated to sell the Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers, which her brother also owned, as part of Paul Allen’s will. However, she has stated that there is no timeline to sell either team, despite reported interest in Portland from Nike co-founder Phil Knight.
In September 2022, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay put the Hawks on the radar as the next potential team to sell, projecting they would become available sometime in 2024.
One intriguing candidate to buy the team when it eventually hits the market is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who explored a bid to buy the Washington Commanders but ultimately decided against it. Amazon’s corporate headquarters is in Seattle.
NFL team sales have been in vogue recently, with the Commanders selling to Josh Harris for over $6 million earlier this year and Rob Walton purchasing the Denver Broncos for $4.65 million in 2022.
