Whenever the NFL finally rids itself of Daniel Snyder, the disgraced Commanders owner is going to slink off with a massive financial windfall.
There are reportedly a pair of $6 million bids on the table to buy the team — one from a group led by Devils and 76ers owner Josh Harris, one from Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos. And other equal or larger offers could be coming, including from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
Bottom line: Whoever buys the Commanders is going to pay significantly more than the $4.65 billion the Rob Walton-led group paid to purchase the Broncos in August. The price of NFL franchises only goes up. Which begs the question: If the Giants or Jets were to hit the open market, what would they be worth?
The Giants would probably command at least $7 billion (Forbes has their value at $6 billion) after a competitive process. But the Mara and Tisch families are not selling anytime soon, if ever. The Jets are a different story.
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Woody Johnson has denied them, but Jets sale rumblings tend to pop up every so often. The team is currently valued at $5.4 billion by Forbes. But, we would argue, Johnson may be positioned to command even more in a sale than the Giants would if — and it is a colossal if — he or a new owner could get the Jets a new stadium across the Hudson River.
Many expect Washington to grease the skids for a new downtown stadium almost immediately once the Commanders change hands. And that new building will be a palatial money-making juggernaut with a roof that not only holds the Commanders, but hosts Final Fours and Super Bowls and WrestleManias and anything else you can think of.
In other words, everything MetLife Stadium is not. But while the Giants are stuck playing in the concrete air conditioning unit, the Jets may have more flexibility. The right people and right pitch could allow them to get a project off the ground and capitalize on the lease-break clauses in their contract. Which would make the team worth significantly more if a new stadium is locked in.
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.
