In an offseason full of head-turning, splashy moves, the Broncos’ trade for Russell Wilson stands out among the rest (it’s the sort of deal that made our eyes bulge out of our sockets like we were in cartoon land). So maybe it’s only right that news about a potential ownership change in Denver would do the same.
According to Forbes, WalMart heir Rob Walton is going to have the winning bid for the team, which will come in at $4.5 billion:
Rob Walton, an heir to the Walmart fortune, will win the bidding for the Denver Broncos at about $4.5 billion, several sports bankers told Forbes. The winning bid is expected to be announced as early as this month. https://t.co/S7VZq83h3T
— Forbes (@Forbes) June 6, 2022
Though take note, it isn’t officially official just yet.
And with ESPN’s Adam Schefter weighing in after the Forbes report, I almost feel like we’re back at step one:
Second-round bids to buy the Denver Broncos are due later today as the process continues to move along, per league sources. One source maintained today that, despite any speculation, no favorite has emerged at this time.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 6, 2022
There are a number of hurdles to clear and loose ends to tie before this thing goes in the books. But the Forbes reporting sure makes it sound like Walton is in the driver’s seat in Denver.
Walton and his group of investors are one of four collectives essentially in the running to take over ownership, according to reporting from Denver’s Mike Klis. Also in the mix are groups led by Josh Harris and Lakers legend Magic Johnson, Jose Feliciano and Behdad Eghbali, as well as Justin and Mat Ishbia. Perhaps the Forbes report was a well-placed leak to drive up late-round bidding in an attempt to reach the $5 billion. And hey, who wouldn’t want to push the price to another level and take home some more sweet, sweet cash on a sale.
Whatever the case is, this situation is worth monitoring. Especially since it seems as if Denver could have new ownership by the time the 2022 NFL season kicks off in September.