Washington Commanders Sale: Jeff Bezos won't bid on the team; Josh Harris group is the top bidder

Jeff Bezos is reportedly out, and won't be placing a bid on the Washington Commanders via multiple reports today. Bezos has been kept in the headlines due to an NDA he reportedly signed, the hiring of a firm to explore a potential move to purchase the team from owner Dan Snyder, and his massive wealth($125 billion). The Amazon founder was first reported to be out for now by Puck News, but sources for Front Office Sports, ESPN, and the Washington Post have said more emphatically that he won't be placing a bid on the team at all.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has no current plans to enter the bidding for the Washington Commanders, a person familiar with the bidding process said Wednesday, potentially clearing the way for a group led by Josh Harris to attempt to complete a deal to purchase the franchise from owner Daniel Snyder.

If these reports are correct, that leaves two billionaire groups in the running for the potential purchase of the team. Josh Harris, is considered to have the strongest bid for the team, and has submitted a bid that has been reported as $6 billion, but FOS has said it's actually under that number. He was joined by another local billionaire Mitchell Rales, and NBA legend Magic Johnson. They have their financing set up, and they are just waiting for the Snyders to make a decision on the sale of them team.

Steve Apostolopoulos has also reportedly made a $6 billion bid, and it was initially reported by Adam Schefter as being "fully-funded". A.J. Perez has been reporting that there have been issues with his financing, And he has been looking for other investors to join his group to strengthen the bud. Tilman Fertitta placed a bid that was reportedly worth more than $5.5 billion early in the process, but he has been involved in weeks, and did not tour the team facilities like the other two bidders.

This likely ends most of the speculation about Bezos swooping in at the last minute with a bid to buy his new hometown team. There has always been speculation that he was waiting for the Seattle Seahawks to go on sale when late owner Paul Allen's estate puts it on the market, something that could happen as soon as next year. We also might stop hearing about one of the weakest billionaire feuds in recent memory.

This news also puts the focus right back on Dan Snyder, and what it will actually take to get him to part ways with his old favorite toy. There are still reports that he was looking for $7 billion, but that is not happening unless a mystery bidder is lurking(one unnamed group did tour the team's facilities). The Harris/Rales/Johnson group is a solid option with local ties that could also potentially lead the team back to DC with a stadium at the old RFK site. There is a lot that needs to happen between now at that date after 2027, but the HRJ group could do it if Dan would just take the money and run.

Sell the Team Dan!