The Seattle Seahawks have been owned by Paul Allen and his family since the 1997 season. However, the team is likely to be put up for sale in the near future, according to one insider.
Jason Puckett, a radio host with 93.3 KJR in Seattle, had Portland columnist and radio host John Canzano on his show on Tuesday to talk about the state of the franchise. According to Canzano, both the Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers are set to be put up for sale in the near future in accordance with requirements set by Paul Allen’s trust.
.@johncanzanobft says that the Blazers and Seahawks will soon be put up for sale, which is required in the trust left by Paul Allen. John says Jody Allen wants to maintain a piece of the Seahawks, if she can.
The co-founder of Microsoft, Allen died in October 2018, but ownership of the team has remained in his trust since his death. His sister, Jody Allen, has been the chairman of the trust and is hoping to maintain at least a minority ownership stake in the Seahawks if the franchise is sold, according to Canzano.
The Seahawks Became a Prestigious Franchise Under Paul Allen
Allen purchased the Seahawks in 1997 from Ken Behring. The team was in a state of financial trouble at the time and was struggling to put out a successful product on the field. Behring had also moved the team’s operations to Anaheim, California, and had reportedly tried to move the entire franchise to Southern California before the sale.
Instead, the Seahawks stayed in Seattle under Allen’s ownership. The Microsoft co-founder also led the charge in the development and construction of what is now Lumen Field, one of the loudest and most hostile environments in the NFL.
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On the field, the Seahawks have transformed into one of the most successful teams in the NFC of this millennium. Since 2003, the Seahawks have only missed the playoffs in five seasons, appearing in three Super Bowls and winning the first championship in franchise history in Super Bowl XLVIII.
The franchise has come a long way under Allen’s ownership, but with his passing, someone else could be taking over in the coming years.
Who Could be the Next Owner of the Seahawks?
If the Seahawks are put up for sale, there will likely be dozens of bidders trying to acquire an NFL franchise. Teams rarely go up for sale, and when they do it quickly becomes one of the most sought-after assets in the country.
The most likely candidate to be Seattle’s next owner is Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos. The billionaire has been linked to several NFL teams over the past few years, but at this point no concrete moves have been made. Considering Amazon is based out of Seattle, it would make a lot of sense for the team to be sold to Bezos.
Depending on when the team is put up for sale, an interesting name to keep an eye on would be Seahawks legend and current Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner. The 31-year-old has publicly expressed interest in becoming an NFL owner one day, and with the support of an ownership group that could certainly become a reality after his playing days are over.
Regardless of who buys the team whenever it’s put up for sale, they will have big shoes to fill replacing Paul Allen and his family.
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Seahawks Will Be Put Up for Sale, Per Insider