Snyder reportedly agrees to sell NFL's Commanders for $6B

Snyder reportedly agrees to sell NFL’s Commanders for $6B

Dan Snyder’s long, tumultuous tenure as owner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders appears to be nearing its end.

According to multiple reports, Snyder has agreed to sell the Commanders to a group headed up by billionaire Josh Harris, who also co-owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils. The deal — reportedly worth close to $6 billion — has not yet been officially submitted for league approval, but appears to be trending that way, according to The Washington Post.

The Commanders’ reported sale price would be a record for a North American sports franchise, far exceeding the $4.65 billion the Denver Broncos sold for last year. Harris’ group includes former NBA star Magic Johnson, who is also part of the ownership team for MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers.

Snyder, 58, has been sole owner of the Washington NFL franchise since 1999, when he purchased the team from the estate of Jack Kent Cooke for $800 million. He has been embroiled in controversy for several years, including multiple lawsuits, allegations of financial improprieties and accusations from former employees of creating a toxic workplace culture.

Most notably, Snyder agreed after years of pressure from shareholders and the general public in 2020 to change the team’s name from “Redskins,” which many viewed as a slur against Native Americans. The franchise was known as the Washington Football Team in 2020 and 2021 before choosing the name Commanders prior to last season.

Snyder’s teams have not been a success on the field, either. After winning three Super Bowls in the 1980s and 90s under Cooke’s leadership, Washington has averaged fewer than seven wins and won just two playoff games in 24 seasons since Snyder took over.