The Seattle Seahawks are set to go on the market following Super Bowl LX, according to sources from both the league and ownership familiar with the situation. This decision marks the end of speculation regarding the team”s future ownership, which has lingered since the passing of former owner Paul G. Allen in 2018.
Discussions about the sale have reportedly been ongoing at both ownership and league levels for the past week. Since Allen”s death, his estate has managed the Seahawks along with the NBA”s Portland Trail Blazers. His sister, Jody Allen, has overseen the teams as the executor of the trust, which includes a directive to eventually sell both franchises and donate the proceeds to charitable causes.
The NFL declined to comment on the matter, and the Seahawks have also refrained from making any statements, though they referenced Allen”s earlier remarks about the team being sold at some point.
Notably, the Seahawks are now past a threshold where selling the team would necessitate sharing 10% of the sale proceeds with the state of Washington. If the team is officially put up for sale, it will be a historic moment, as it would be the first time in the Super Bowl era that a team that has recently competed in the championship game has been placed on the market shortly afterward.
The Seahawks will face the New England Patriots on February 8 in Santa Clara, California. Paul Allen initially acquired the Seahawks from Ken Behring in 1996, with the transaction finalized in 1997, effectively preventing the team from relocating to southern California.
Should the franchise be sold, it is expected to set a record for the highest sale price for an NFL team, especially following a Super Bowl appearance and potentially a championship victory. The Seahawks have reached the playoffs in seven of the last ten years and play in the iconic Lumen Field, known for being one of the most challenging stadiums for opposing teams.
Valuations for sports teams have surged in recent years, with Sportico estimating the Seahawks” worth at approximately $6.59 billion, ranking them as the 14th most valuable team in the league. The most recent NFL team sale involved the Washington Commanders, which sold for a record $6.05 billion in 2023. One team executive speculated that the Seahawks could command a sale price between $7 billion and $8 billion.
The Blazers are currently in the process of being sold to an investment group led by Tom Dundon, who has agreed to purchase the team for more than $4 billion. Jody Allen, who honored her brother by raising the 12 Flag before the NFC Championship Game, has typically avoided media interviews. Her first public comments came last Sunday when the Seahawks received the NFC Championship trophy, stating, “I”m incredibly proud to be standing here today and accepting this on behalf of all the 12s here, all the 12s across the country and all the 12s across the globe.”
In July 2022, Allen released a statement regarding the ownership situation, indicating that while neither the Blazers nor the Seahawks were on the market at that time, they eventually would be sold. This announcement followed an unsolicited offer from Nike founder Phil Knight and Los Angeles Dodgers minority owner Alan Smolinisky to purchase the Blazers for over $2 billion. In her statement, she noted, “given Paul”s plans to dedicate the vast majority of his wealth to philanthropy, estates of this size and complexity can take 10 to 20 years to wind down. There is no pre-ordained timeline by which the teams must be sold. Until then, my focus — and that of our teams — is on winning.”
The most significant decision made by Jody Allen since taking control of the team was to part ways with legendary coach Pete Carroll following the 2023 season, promoting John Schneider to the role of the team”s primary decision-maker. Schneider subsequently hired Mike Macdonald, who has led the Seahawks to both 10- and 14-win regular seasons, culminating in the franchise”s fourth Super Bowl appearance.
Macdonald expressed his appreciation for Jody Allen”s vision for the team, stating, “The thing that sticks out to me about Jody was her enthusiasm about where she wanted our team to be and our franchise to be as a vision of the Seattle Seahawks. That was during our interview process. Honestly, that”s really where I was like “OK, this is something I feel really strongly about that I feel like I could help create that.” So everything, I think, has been through that lens. It”s very clear what type of team she wants and she”s been incredibly supportive … She”s been awesome.”
