There are these cheese, salami and taralli bread snacks I walk past regularly at QFC. It’s a moderately-sized pack, maybe the size of a Lunchable, and I tried them once when they were discounted at about $2. Delicious.
The problem is that they’re usually $6.49, which is ridiculous despite their appeal. In other words, you could say I stroll by them with a “soft interest.”
That, of course, is how the market for the for-sale Seahawks was characterized in a recent ESPN story. Potential owners simply aren’t flooding in when the valuation is projected at over $9 billion.
Related
Seahawks sale: Here’s what comes next in the process
The record for an NFL team sale is $6.05 billion, which occurred when Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment group bought the Commanders in 2023. Five years before that, the Panthers sold for $2.3 billion.
In short: NFL valuations have increased by a factor of four in less than a decade. So is it really a surprise that the Seahawks aren’t luring endless bids?
No. Here’s the thing, though. Like those salami snack packs that have been on display for years, there’s enough interest. The Seahawks will be bought. The concern for fans is who will buy them. Or maybe more specifically, who all will buy them.
In this day and age — unless a Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg-like figure comes along — sports teams are almost always going to be purchased by groups. There’s usually one main money person, who may or may not serve as the day-to-day decision-maker, and a large contingent of major financial contributors.
And when a number of people make sizable investments in something, it’s likely that a few of them are going to want to be more hands-on than necessary. This is why the Allens — first Paul and now Jody — have been such godsend owners for the Seahawks. They got the hell out of the way.
According to a Sportico report, the two groups/individuals that are preparing to make bids on the Seahawks are Celtics alternate governors Wyc Grousbeck and Aditya Mittal, and 49ers minority stakeholder Vinod Khosla. Make no mistake, these are wealthy people — with Mittal’s net worth estimated to be in the $20-30 billion range and Khosla’s around $14 billion.
But that isn’t Steve Ballmer-type money. That likely isn’t “I’m throwing this $9 billion down myself” money. There are almost certainly going to be other major stakeholders involved.
And though Seahawks are cooking right now, what happens when a few too many cooks are in the executive’s kitchen? Will general manager John Schneider have to justify his picks, trades and signings? Will there be an unsolicited nudge for a player in the draft room? Most people have had a boss who thinks they know better. What if the football guys have five of them?
In 2024, the Athletic reported how Jets owner Woody Johnson used “Madden” ratings to blow up a deal that would have brought then-Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy to New York. Supposedly the video game didn’t think highly enough of Jeudy, so Johnson didn’t, either.
This is just one example, and yes — it’s the Jets. But Seahawks fans, along with their execs, have been spoiled for a while. It’s easy to understand why both might fear change.
Times sports columnist Mike Vorel addressed this concern recently, using new Blazers owner Tom Dundon and his penny-pinching ways as a warning for what could await the Seahawks. He’s one guy. Might a group be even more daunting?
It’s hard to say. My guess is that a lot of fans are hoping that this reported “soft” interest keeps Jody Allen in charge longer than she planned. Coming off a Super Bowl won in large part due to key personnel moves over the past couple years, you could certainly see why they’d want her and her nonmeddling ways.
But that is just unlikely to be the case. Despite the projected price tag — and despite any fears some might have about a state income tax stiff-arming free agents — this team is almost certainly going to be sold soon. So now the wait begins.
The Seahawks have been one of the more successful sports franchises over the past decade and a half, consistently producing winning seasons while winning two Super Bowls and reaching a third. Ownership played a hand in that by keeping its hands off.
Maybe that will continue to be the case. But a large number like $9 billion? It could bring a large number of people who might want to be a little too involved.
Matt Calkins: mcalkins@seattletimes.com. Matt Calkins has been a sports columnist with the Seattle Times since 2015, where he has covered national title games, got a Seahawk to design his apartment and once extracted a two-word quote from Marshawn Lynch.