Redskins Rank Third Among NFL Franchise Values, per Forbes

Dan Snyder acquired the Redskins in 1999 for $800 million, and to no one’s surprise, the polarizing owner is getting quite the return for his investment.

What sparks that statement is Monday’s release of the world’s most valuable sports teams by Forbes. According to the magazine, The Washington Redskins are the eighth-most valuable sports team in the world, with a $1.6 billion value. That amount places the 'Skins as the third-most valuable NFL team behind only the Dallas Cowboys ($2.1 billion) and New England Patriots ($1.635 billion).

Snyder’s made plenty of bad investments over the years when it comes to player and coach personnel, doling out big contracts to past-their-prime veterans and flat-out busts. But no one can argue his ability to turn a profit, and in today’s rapidly growing NFL, Snyder’s franchise has capitalized more than all but two teams in the league. It also doesn’t hurt when your franchise quarterback set a single-season sales record on NFLShop.com in 2012.

The New York Giants ranked just behind the Redskins with a value of $1.468 billion and the Philadelphia Eagles rounded out the NFC East with a value of $1.26 billion. To put it all in perspective, that division hosts four of the world’s 15 richest franchises.