SEATTLE (AP) 鈥� The Seattle Seahawks are going up for sale in accordance with the wishes of late team owner Paul Allen.
Allen’s estate announced Wednesday that it has begun the process of selling the team, which is coming off its in franchise history. The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press, nor did Allen鈥檚 estate have anything further to add beyond its brief statement, it said.
Ahead of the Super Bowl, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell commended Allen鈥檚 estate on its time owning the Seahawks.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e in the Super Bowl, and I think from that standpoint they鈥檝e done a really important job in the context of the trust and the execution of that,鈥� Goodell said. 鈥淏ut eventually the team will need to be sold in accordance with that. That will be Jody鈥檚 decision for when she does that, and we will be supportive of that.鈥�
Investment bank Allen & Company and law firm Latham & Watkins will lead the sales process, which is estimated to continue through the offseason. NFL owners must then ratify a final purchase agreement.
The estate said the sale is consistent with Allen鈥檚 directive to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all estate proceeds to philanthropy.
The Seahawks have been in the Allen family since 1997, when Paul Allen bought the team for $194 million from then-owner Ken Behring. Allen was critical in keeping the Seahawks in Seattle, which is where the team is expected to remain after the sale is finalized. The Seahawks have a lease at Lumen Field that runs through 2032 with three 10-year options.
Since from complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma at 65, the Seahawks and the NBA鈥檚 Portland Trail Blazers have been owned by his sister, Jody. The estate agreed in September to to an investment group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon. The Trail Blazers will remain in Portland as part of the deal, which could be completed this spring.
The last NFL team to be sold was the Washington Commanders in 2023. A group led by Josh Harris that includes Magic Johnson bought the team from longtime owner and his family
It already has been an offseason of change for the Seahawks less than two weeks removed from their Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots.
The Las Vegas Raiders plucked away . The Seahawks are as their offensive coordinator, a person with knowledge of the hiring process said Sunday, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because a deal was still being worked on.
The Seahawks鈥� roster could look quite different in 2026, too.
Defensive starters safety Coby Bryant, cornerbacks Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen and edge rusher Boye Mafe will become unrestricted free agents this offseason. Offensive standouts wide receiver/return specialist Rashid Shaheed and running back Kenneth Walker III will be unrestricted free agents in March, too.
Both and , who was the Super Bowl MVP, have said publicly they would like to return to Seattle next season.
Should the Seahawks鈥� sale wrap up by this offseason, though, the team will not be owned by the Allen family for the first time in nearly three decades.
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