With $6B Commanders Bid In, All Harris Can Do Now Is Wait

The NFL has seen Josh Harris’ proposal to purchase the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion, and the money is in place. For weeks, the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils co-owner has been the lone legitimate contender for the franchise. 

All that’s left is for his group to be officially tapped as the winning bidder by Commanders owner Dan Snyder. 

As Front Office Sports reported earlier this month, that was expected to occur before the start of the next NFL owners meeting on May 22, although there are signs a decision could hit sooner. 

A third limited partner in the Harris group has emerged, FOS confirmed. Mark Ein is the executive chairman of Virginia-based security firm Kastle Systems and the founder of two private equity firms. 

Ein, whose involvement was first reported by WUSA-9, joins billionaire Mitchell Rales and Magic Johnson in Harris’ effort — and a source told FOS to expect at least a dozen limited partners (the NFL’s cutoff is 24). 

The larger the group, the longer the league’s vetting process is expected to take. Rob Walton had only three limited partners when the Walmart heir agreed to purchase the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion, but it took 64 days for NFL owners to vote to approve Walton’s group. 

The fact that Harris shared the proposal isn’t expected to alter the timeline — a source said that the practice of sharing before an official announcement has been common for many years.