Jeff Bezos not blocked from bidding; NFL owners are worried about Dan Snyder trying to keep the team

Another day, another conflicting report on the sale of the Washington Commanders. The New York Post first reported that Dan Snyder had blocked Amazon founder Jeff Bezos from placing a bid on the Washington Commanders. The Athletic followed suit with their own sources story. Bezos owns the Washington Post which has been one of the leading media outlets investigating Snyder and the toxic workplace he ran for over two decades.

That story is being refuted by A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports in a new story this morning. Perez's sources say Bezos is still in the running for the purchase of the team. Snyder leaking the Bezos block story was a likely attempt to drive up the price, because he isn't getting the high bids that were expected.

NFL owners have grown increasingly concerned over the pace of the Washington Commanders sale, fueled by reports that owner Dan Snyder won’t allow Amazon founder Jeff Bezos bid for the franchise.

Bezos, however, remains in the mix for the Commanders, two sources with knowledge of the situation told Front Office Sports. One of those sources said that news that Snyder wouldn’t sell to Bezos amounts to a ploy to get a high bid out of the Amazon founder.

Snyder initially wanted $7 billion for the franchise, but $6.3 billion was reportedly the highest bid received in the first round. The billionaire behind that bid hasn't been identified. Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris has been considered the front runner to purchase the team, but his bid amount is still unknown. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is another known bidder, and his bid was reportedly for more than $5.5 billion. Both billionaires have toured the team's facilities long with at least one other potential bidder.

The pace of the sale, and tactics Dan Snyder is using to try to inflate the value of his franchise, have reportedly made several other NFL owners concerned. They want Snyder out, and a quiet exit where Dan takes his $6 billion and sales off to England is obviously preferable.

The NFL's second investigation into Snyder and the team is being led by Mary Jo White and has been going on for over a year. Speculation is that investigation has been put on the back burner, along with criticism from other owners, because Snyder voluntarily announced he was exploring all options for a sale. The NFL would prefer to not have to set a precedent by having at least 24 other owners vote him out, but that is their final options if Snyder backs out of a sale and the fan base shrinks even further.