Amazon founder Jeff Bezos may have just taken a major step toward purchasing the Washington Commanders from Daniel Snyder.
According to Mark Maske, Nicki Jhabvala and Liz Clarke of The Washington Post, Bezos has hired the investment firm Allen & Company, which specializes in transactions of professional sports franchises, "to evaluate a possible bid" for the Commanders.
Allen & Company was the firm that handled the two most recent sales of NFL franchises, the Denver Broncos (2022) and Carolina Panthers (2018), per The Post.
The Post importantly adds that it currently "remains unclear" whether Bezos will actually make a bid to purchase the franchise, but that his hiring and association with Allen & Company "represents a concrete sign of his interest in conducting due diligence and potentially in moving forward in the process."
Earlier this month, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a key NFL powerbroker, said Bezos would make a great addition to the league.
"I think Jeff is probably the most competent business people in the world, what he's done, build a company like that and built the scale, and maintained quality, he is definitely a tremendous operator," Kraft said. "...And we need good operating people in their individual towns and I think Jeff would be a great owner."
Josh Kosman, the New York Post business reporter who has been covering the sale process, said earlier in February that while Bezos had not submitted a bid, he has "long-wanted to buy the Washington football team."
"The NFL's been courting Bezos, if Bezos could buy [the Commanders] without Snyder's interference since they don't get along, I would think Bezos wins," Kosman told The Team 980's Kevin Sheehan.
While there are reports of ill feelings between Snyder and Bezos surrounding Bezos' ownership of the Washington Post, reports seem to indicate Snyder would sell to the Amazon founder.
An investment banker who requested anonymity because he has done business with the Commanders told The Athletic "if Bezos pays $200 million more, Dan will give him a piggyback ride around the stadium."
Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris, one of two known suitors for the Washington franchise, recently toured the team's facility and could still be in the running to purchase the Commanders.
Read the full report in The Washington Post.
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