Daniel Snyder made headlines in November when he hired Bank of America Securities to oversee the possibility of a Washington Commanders’ sale. More than a month later, it seems he is no closer to even taking one step toward selling his franchise.
When the Commanders made their announcement on Nov. 5, the Snyder family announced it hired BofA Securities to evaluate potential transactions involving Washington’s NFL franchise. The specific language left the door open to a wide array of possibilities.
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Among them was the option of selling a minority stake in the Commanders, providing Snyder with the liquid capital to help fund a new NFL stadium. However, many around the league and loyal supporters of the team hoped the franchise would be sold outright with a new owner taking over in the future.
As detailed by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the rumors around the possibility of a Commanders sale have gone quiet. Even after the House Oversight Committee released its 79-page report suggesting Snyder allowed and participated in the organization’s toxic culture, there are no signs he is anywhere close to even seriously entertaining offers for the team.
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One source close to the situation expressed a concern that there will ultimately not be a sale whatsoever. As Florio wrote, there aren’t even the slightest indications of progress and parties who expressed interest in buying the Commanders aren’t being met with any receptiveness to dialogue.
“The source is aware of no objective indication that the process is moving forward. Indeed, multiple interested parties (per the source) have encountered some ‘resistance’ in their effort to move things forward.”
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio on Daniel Snyder’s interest in moving forward with a Washington Commanders sale
It adds fuel to what some in the NFL believe was the real purpose of the entire process. There are some who think Snyder used this as a charade targeted against billionaire Jeff Bezos, using the guise of a potential sale to prove that Bezos has always been motivated by a desire to buy the Commanders this entire time.
The belief ties into previous reports from league insiders, suggesting that Snyder is adamant Bezos used the Washington Post to damage his character. From the beginning, Snyder has said he had no involvement in the Commanders’ toxic culture and that the sexual misconduct allegations against him were driven by outside forces trying to force him out of the NFL.
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While Snyder doesn’t have much support from fellow NFL owners, outside of long-time friend Jerry Jones, there are no indications that the league intends to take the unprecedented step of forcing him out of the NFL.
As a result, barring a sudden desire to sell his favorite team at a record-setting price next year, it seems as if the Commanders and their fans are stuck with Snyder for years to come.
