Washington Commanders

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant would like to claim a stake in the Washington Commanders should Dan and Tanya Snyder sell the NFL franchise.

"In a perfect world, I would be a part of it," he said to ESPN's Nick Friedell. "I would love to do it. I would love to give a little bit of my money to be a part of the Commanders, but we'll see. Hopefully it's somebody nice. I heard [Amazon CEO Jeff] Bezos and Jay-Z, but you never know."

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Sunday that the Commanders could sell for as high as $7 billion.

The 12-time All-Star is from Washington, D.C., and told Friedell he's "excited as a fan" for the Commanders' future.

"I feel like we drafted well the last couple years," he said. "We got some foundation pieces that can help you win football games moving forward. So yeah, I think it's an attractive destination."

The Snyders announced Wednesday they hired BofA Securities to explore the potential sale of the Commanders.

Fans have called for an ownership change for years, and the dissent has reached a fevered pitch amid a series of controversies involving the organization.

The Commanders were the subject of an investigation into their workplace atmosphere in 2021, which drew the attention of Congress as well. On the same day as the Snyders' announcement, ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. reported prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office were looking into alleged financial improprieties.

An earlier report from ESPN cast serious doubt on how much support from fellow NFL owners Dan Snyder even enjoys now. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was the first to go on record and call for his removal.

In the event the Commanders are officially put up for sale, the Snyders almost assuredly wouldn't have trouble finding bidders despite all of the recent turmoil.

People's Charlotte Triggs and Natasha Dye reported Bezos may be interested and could bring Jay-Z within his ownership group. Kamaron Leach of Bloomberg reported Entertainment Studios founder Byron Allen is laying the groundwork for a bid.

If Durant were to obtain a minority share, this wouldn't be his first foray into sports ownership. He bought a five percent stake in the MLS' Philadelphia Union in June 2020 and became a minority investor in the NWSL's NJ/NY Gotham FC in May.

Mortgage executive and former Michigan State basketball player Mat Ishbia has expressed interest in purchasing the Washington Commanders, he told Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post on Friday.

"The NFL is a great league and Washington is one of the elite franchises," Ishbia said in a statement issued to The Washington Post through a spokesperson. "I am interested in exploring this opportunity further in the very near future."

Ishbia is currently the president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage. He has a net worth of $4.6 billion, as estimated by Forbes.

Ishbia bid on the Denver Broncos when they were put up for sale by the Pat Bowlen Trust, but the team was eventually sold to Walmart heir Rob Walton for $4.65 billion in June, making it the largest team sale in North American sports history.

However, the Commanders could rewrite the history books if sold. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that the "baseline" price for the franchise would be $5 billion and it could climb as high as $7 billion.

The Commanders announced Wednesday that owners Daniel and Tanya Snyder had hired Bank of America to "consider potential transactions" relating to the franchise, signaling that they may consider selling all or part of the team.

Ben Fischer of the Sports Business Journal reported Thursday that the Snyders' decision came after other NFL owners, including Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, had confronted Daniel Snyder in recent weeks about selling the team:

"Jim Irsay was the only one who said his piece in public, but other NFL owners have confronted Snyder privately in recent weeks—and more have told commissioner Roger Goodell that something must give, sources tell me. Wednesday's shock announcement from the Snyders that they'd entertain offers for the team, those same sources said, came in light of that growing consensus that the end must come, one way or another."

The Snyders have owned the Washington franchise since 1999, and the team has become one of the worst in football since then, winning just two playoff games and becoming a massive disappointment both on and off the field.

Since taking over as owner, Daniel Snyder spent years refusing to change the team's racist nickname, has faced sexual harassment allegations and both the NFL and House Oversight Committee launched investigations into toxic workplace allegations against the franchise. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission and the Virginia attorney general investigated Snyder and the Commanders for financial improprieties.

The team's allegations of financial impropriety have since reached the federal level, per ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr.

The on-field product for Washington under Snyder has also been subpar, as the Commanders have gone 160-216 during his tenure, reaching the playoffs just six times and winning two postseason games since 1999.

In addition to Ishbia, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z have expressed interest in purchasing the Commanders. A partnership between the two is possible, according to Charlotte Triggs and Natasha Dye of People.

Former NFL defensive tackle Dave Butz, who won two Super Bowl titles with Washington, has died at the age of 72.

The team announced the news Friday:

Butz, a first-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973, joined Washington in 1975 and built a career résumé that included a spot on the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1980s and a place in the team's Ring of Fame following his 1989 retirement.

The Alabama native enjoyed a standout senior season at Purdue in 1972, earning first-team All-Big Ten and consensus All-American honors to establish himself as a high-end NFL prospect. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Ahead of his enshrinement, he told Mike Carmin of the Lafayette Journal & Courier the most intriguing aspect of his college recruitment actually came from legendary Kentucky basketball coach Adolph Rupp, a scholarship offer he kept as a souvenir.

"Coach Rupp at Kentucky wanted me to play basketball," Butz said. "I was like 6'7'', 280 [pounds]. I was giving new meaning to the words power forward."

The football thing ended up working out quite well for Butz, who finished third in 1983 Defensive Player of the Year voting during this peak with Washington. He also earned his only Pro Bowl selection that season.

He was ahead of his time as a defensive tackle who could rush the quarterback in addition to slowing down the run game, finishing his career with 64 sacks in 216 career appearances.

After his career, Butz responded to critics who suggested he could have made an even bigger impact if he delivered more punishing hits to opposing quarterbacks, per Ken Denlinger of the Los Angeles Times.

"Every quarterback I hit knows I hit him," Butz said. "If you mean do I have the ability to blindside a quarterback or hit him in the middle of the back as he's throwing the ball, I have absolutely no problem with that whatsoever. ... But if I had to hit that quarterback—I could take his legs out from under him, break his legs or whatever—I wouldn't do it. I'd still hit him high."

Former Washington quarterback Joe Theismann, a teammate of the standout tackle from 1975 through 1985, expressed his condolences on Twitter:

Butz finished his career with 216 games played across 16 NFL seasons.

On Wednesday, the Washington Commanders announced that Bank of America Securities had been retained to investigate "potential transactions," the first public indication team owner Daniel Snyder might sell the franchise.

But that move reportedly came at the urging of other owners around the league, per Ben Fischer of the Sports Business Journal:

Jim Irsay was the only one who said his piece in public, but other NFL owners have confronted Snyder privately in recent weeks—and more have told commissioner Roger Goodell that something must give, sources tell me. Wednesday's shock announcement from the Snyders that they'd entertain offers for the team, those same sources said, came in light of that growing consensus that the end must come, one way or another.

The fact Washington's announcement came on the same day that ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. reported the U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of Virginia opened a "criminal investigation into allegations that the Commanders engaged in financial improprieties" didn't feel coincidental.

Given the wide swath of scandals and investigations into Snyder, a future sale wouldn't come as a surprise. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay already publicly called for Snyder to be removed in October, the first owner to publicly do so:

Whether the NFL owners can push for Snyder's ouster remains to be seen, with Fischer noting that they still aren't positive they would have the required votes to remove him.

But he added that "many owners would love him gone, but worry about the unpredictable, extraordinarily high risk they’d face doing so without stronger cause," writing that "many owners have concluded that this scandal will simply never go away as long as Snyder is there—that it's metastasized to the point of no return, and is starting to hurt other owners."

In October, Seth Wickersham, Natta Jr. and Tisha Thompson reported that "Snyder recently told a close associate that he has gathered enough secrets to 'blow up' several NFL owners, the league office and even commissioner Roger Goodell."

But the simpler solution for both Snyder and the rest of the NFL would be him agreeing to sell, turning an incredibly lucrative profit in the process.

"The reason it's so shocking is that it's so practical," an NFL insider told Fischer regarding Wednesday's news that Snyder was exploring a potential sale.

To this point, Snyder has cut a defiant figure. But perhaps, at the behest of his peers, that approach is starting to change.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos and rap mogul Jay-Z are reportedly among the high-profile names interested in purchasing the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder.

Charlotte Triggs and Natasha Dye of People reported Bezos is "looking into buying the Washington Commanders," while TMZ Sports reported a partnership between Bezos and Jay-Z is "on the table."

Snyder announced his intention to explore a full or partial sale of the Commanders on Wednesday, though the team offered no promises to actually sell the team.

"Dan and Tanya Snyder and the Washington Commanders announced today that they have hired BofA Securities to consider potential transactions," the statement read. "The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing the work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL."

Snyder has owned the team since 1999, a period that has seen the franchise go from one of the NFL's beacons of success to arguably its biggest embarrassment. Washington has won only two playoff games over the course of Snyder's tenure and has alienated one of the league's most loyal fanbases.

The Commanders went from having a 50-year sellout streak to currently sitting last in the NFL in attendance. Much of that malaise can be attributed to Snyder, who refused to change the team's racist nickname for decades and made a series of personnel gaffes that left Washington consistently near the bottom of the NFC East.

The situation reached a head amid an investigation that found rampant sexual misconduct and verbal abuse within the organization over Snyder's tenure, along with a Congressional investigation into alleged financial impropriety from Snyder. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay called out Snyder to reporters last month.

"I think it's something that we have to review, we have to look at all the evidence and be thorough in going forward, but I think it’s something that has to be given serious consideration," Irsay said when asked if owners should remove Snyder.

Bezos is the fourth-richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $113.1 billion. Amazon has been expanding its business into live sports, with the conglomerate taking over Thursday Night Football rights earlier this year. It's unclear if the Amazon relationship with the NFL would be allowed to continue if Bezos purchased the Commanders.

Jay-Z would be a minority owner in any group, given his net worth ($1.5 billion) is likely only a third (or less) of what Snyder could get for the Commanders on the open market. The rapper previously owned a piece of the Brooklyn Nets.

Entertainment Studios founder Byron Allen has reportedly formed an investor group to explore the potential purchase of the NFL's Washington Commanders.

Kamaron Leach of Bloomberg reported Thursday that Allen, who would be the NFL's first Black majority owner, is "preparing a bid" for the Commanders after previously being involved in the Denver Broncos sale process, which the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group won.

Washington owners Daniel and Tanya Snyder announced Wednesday they'd retained Bank of America Securities to "consider potential transactions" involving the franchise.

A representative for Allen declined to comment to Bloomberg about his interest in the Commanders, and sources told Leach the media entrepreneur's "plans could change."

Allen has amassed an estimated net worth of $500 million, per Emmy Wallin of Wealthy Gorilla. He also has experience in the sports industry after completing a $10 billion deal in 2019 to acquire 21 regional sports channels from Disney.

In February, the 61-year-old Detroit native told Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press he was approached by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft about joining the Broncos discussions.

"[They] said: 'We need your help. We want to achieve an important goal, which is to have the first Black owner of an NFL team, which is something we haven't been able to achieve in 100 years,'" Allen said. "I said, 'I'm happy to help.'"

He added that having a Black owner in the NFL would be "great for the league and, more importantly, great for the country."

"I think it's important that we have Black people throughout the entire ecosystem, not just coaches, management, vendors as well as owners," Allen said. "That's how you are going to effectuate real positive change. They need somebody like me in that owners' room to help bring a different perspective. You can't have it look like everybody going to the same country club."

Allen and Co. will face plenty of competition, however, as Forbes' Mike Ozanian reported at least four groups have already contacted the Snyders about the possible sale.

In August, Forbes ranked the Commanders as the NFL's sixth-most valuable franchise with a $5.6 billion valuation, a 33 percent increase from 2021.

The Snyders have held the majority ownership stake in the organization since 1999. Since that point, the team has qualified for the playoffs just six times in 23 years and captured no Super Bowl titles.

Washington was fined $10 million by the NFL in July 2021 after an investigation determined it possessed a toxic culture that included bullying, intimidation, multiple allegations of sexual harassment, and a general lack of respect in the workplace. The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform has since launched its own probe into those allegations.

In addition, ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. reported Wednesday the franchise is also facing a criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Virginia related to allegations it committed financial improprieties.

No timetable for a potential sale was immediately announced.

The Commanders own a 4-4 record so far this season as they get prepared to host the 6-1 Minnesota Vikings at FedEx Field on Sunday.

The Washington Commanders reportedly are the focus of a criminal investigation from the U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN reported Wednesday that the office opened the investigation following allegations the team "engaged in financial improprieties." The team is also under investigation by attorneys general in Virginia and Washington, D.C. for the same reason.

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission and different attorneys general in April alleging "deceptive business practices over the span of more than a decade, including withholding ticket revenue from visiting teams and refundable deposits from fans."

Some of the evidence came from the testimony of former team employees, with one telling Congress team owner Dan Snyder was aware the Commanders operated two financial books.

The practice was referred to as "juice" inside the team office with one book allegedly holding true financial records and the other featuring unreported ticket revenue that was presented to the NFL.

What's more, the team allegedly made recouping refundable deposit money unnecessarily cumbersome for season-ticket holders and shifted money generated by ticket sales to Commanders games to other events at FedEx Field in an effort to hide it from the NFL and revenue sharing practices.

Attorney John Brownlee is representing the team and released a statement saying the ESPN report consists of "falsehoods based solely on anonymous sources" and calling the allegations "simply untrue."

The statement also said the team has cooperated with investigators since the April letter and "has produced tens of thousands of records in response to the requests."

This is just the latest for the Commanders, who have faced a number of investigations into their workplace culture. As Van Natta noted, attorney Mary Jo White is currently investigating the team and an allegation that Snyder sexually assaulted a woman on his plane in 2009.

Washington previously hired attorney Beth Wilkinson in 2020 to review the workplace culture. The NFL eventually took over the investigation, which determined the team's workplace environment fostered sexual harassment, bullying and more misconduct.

While a written report was never released, Snyder was forced to give up control of day-to-day operations to his wife, Tanya, and the team was fined $10 million.

Van Natta, Seth Wickersham and Tisha Thompson reported last month that Snyder "will never accept" being forced to sell the team and remains "paranoid" that those around the league will break non-disclosure agreements and reveal additional information about him.

The report included allegations of blackmail with Snyder apparently gathering information to potentially "blow up" fellow team owners and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Yet the Commanders released a statement Wednesday suggesting the team, or at least a portion of it, could be for sale. The announcement said the Snyders retained BofA Securities to "consider potential transactions."

The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia has announced that a 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with an August 28 attempted robbery in which Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson was shot twice in his right leg during an attempted robbery.

The boy, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, was arrested and charged with assault with intent to rob while armed (gun).

The Metropolitan Police Department did not specifically mention Robinson by name, but Mike Garafolo of NFL Network confirmed that the arrest was in response to the attempted robbery of the first-year back.

Per the news release, the shooting remains under investigation. Of note, the police are also seeking a second person of interest, who was captured on video.

Per Kayla Morton of CBS 17, the police department is offering a $10,000 reward for anyone with information regarding the second suspect.

Robinson suffered "non-life-threatening injuries," per a Commanders' statement updating his condition soon after the attempted robbery.

Remarkably, Robinson missed just four regular-season games before making his NFL debut on Oct. 9 against the Tennessee Titans. He has amassed 188 total yards and one touchdown through four games.

The Washington Commanders could be for sale, though it's unclear if the entire franchise is on the market or if a portion would be sold to a minority investor.

Team owners Dan and Tanya Snyder announced Wednesday they have retained BofA Securities to "consider potential transactions."

Per Mike Ozanian of Forbes, at least four groups have expressed interest in buying the team.

Ozanian noted Dan Snyder and his bankers "are exploring all options and a transaction could be for the entire NFL team or a minority stake."

Snyder's ownership has been marred by his longtime refusal to change the franchise's previous nickname, which many considered a racial slur, and multiple investigations into allegations of workplace misconduct.

The United States House Committee on Oversight is investigating the Commanders' history of alleged workplace misconduct and sexual harassment. Snyder and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testified before the committee over the summer.

The NFL is also conducting an investigation, led by former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White, though, as of Oct. 27, Snyder hadn't been interviewed.

The Washington franchise hired attorney Beth Wilkinson to review organizational protocols and examine its past workplace culture in July 2020. The league took over the investigation, still led by Wilkinson, the following month.

The NFL announced Wilkinson completed her review in July 2021, finding the franchise had fostered a work environment where sexual harassment, bullying and verbal abuse were tolerated, but a full report of the investigation was not made public. As a result of the investigation's findings, the team was fined $10 million and Tanya Snyder took over the day-to-day operation of the team.

Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press noted last week that the league has promised to release a written report of the findings from White's investigation.

Per Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, lawyers for the Commanders sent a nine-page letter to the House Oversight Committee last month raising "concerns" about the committee's work and process.

Tom Davis, a former representative from Virginia, alleged in the letter the committee's "singular purpose" was to "destroy Dan Snyder and his family and attempt, with deception, innuendo and half-truths, to drive him from the National Football League."

Amid the investigations and questions about Snyder's long-term viability as an owner, ESPN's Seth Wickersham, Don Van Natta Jr. and Tisha Thompson reported last month the 57-year-old told a close associate he has enough secrets to "blow up" several other NFL team owners, the league office and Goodell.

"They can't f--k with me," Snyder has said privately, per Wickersham, Van Natta and Thompson.

Jim Irsay of the Indianapolis Colts told Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post on Friday that he thinks there is "merit to consider removal" of Snyder as Commanders owner.

If the NFL held a vote on removing Snyder, at least 24 owners would have to vote in favor.

Commanders fans have voiced their displeasure with the state of the franchise. They booed Tanya Snyder and chanted "sell the team" when she was shown on the videoboard during an Oct. 23 game against the Green Bay Packers at FedEx Field.

Dan and Tanya Snyder purchased the Washington NFL franchise in 1999 for a then-record price of $800 million.

The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired cornerback William Jackson III from the Washington Commanders ahead of the 2022 NFL trade deadline on Tuesday.

Here are the full terms of the trade:

• Steelers get: CB WIlliam Jackson III, conditional 2025 seventh-round pick
• Commanders get: conditional 2025 sixth-round pick

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network initially reported a deal was being finalized.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported earlier Tuesday that Washington was expected to release Jackson if no trade was completed.

Jackson is in the second year of the three-year, $40.5 million contract he signed with Washington in 2021.

The 2016 first-round pick has been limited to four appearances this season because of a back injury. The Houston product has recorded 16 tackles along with two pass breakups.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported Oct. 13 that Jackson was looking to land with another team, "preferably with a scheme that he believes better fits him."

Ultimately, the team decided to move on as well.

Coming into the 2022 season, Pro Football Focus' Anthony Treash ranked Jackson as the No. 24 outside corner, putting him in the "good players with boom-or-bust tendencies" tier. The 6'0" defensive back didn't play up to expectations in 2021, and the back injury has limited his availability this year.

As a result, the secondary has been a mixed bag.

Although Washington is allowing just 214.0 passing yards per game to rank 16th in the NFL, its 99.2 opponent passer rating is the fifth-worst. The Commanders have also allowed 14 touchdown passes, which is tied for the fourth-most.

Jackson joins a Steelers squad that is 2-6 and sits in last place in the AFC North. The Jackson deal comes on the heels of Pittsburgh reportedly trading receiver Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears.