The Washington Commanders are expected to be sold very soon, with Dan Snyder reportedly having moved out of the team’s facility.
According to Sportico.com, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation have indicated that former NBA star Magic Johnson has joined the bidding war for the NFL franchise.
The NBA Hall of Famer, who won five champions with the Los Angeles Lakers, is known for his sports investments and was part of a group – led by Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris – that tried to buy the Denver Broncos in 2022. It’s being reported that the group is one of the few that remains in talks with Snyder as the longtime owner prepares to relinquish his position as the owner of an NFL team.
Negotiations over a potential sale, which is expected, are said to have progressed over the last week and it’s rumored that an agreement could be hashed out by the time the NFL owners hold their meeting in Arizona at the end of March.
The NFL has been under pressure to include more black minority owners as there’s only a handful in the league presently. The Broncos franchise was bought by a group of owners consisting of former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and co-CEO of Ariel Investments Mellody Hobson, who are both black.
Johnson is said to be providing money and expertise but the exact sum is unknown. Johnson had not replied to a text message from Sportico at the time of writing while Harris has declined to comment.
