Back in May of 2021, the Daily Herald dropped a surprising report that internal strife was rampant in the McCaskey family. While matriarch Virginia and her son George were adamant about keeping the Chicago Bears in the family, some younger generations don’t seem interested in owning the team anymore. They wish to consider putting it up for sale. This won’t happen while Virginia is alive, but everybody knows it is only a matter of time before she is gone.
Lack of interest in football might be a primary reason some of the family want out, but there is another apparent motive for selling the team. Money. Lots and lots of money. The Denver Broncos are on the cusp of being sold. Current estimates indicate it could end up going for around $4.5 billion. Peter King of NBC Sports asked around and came away with some startling information. Given where things are headed, it won’t be long before an NFL franchise sells for $8-10 billion.
So if the Broncos are 10th and worth $4.5 billion, what are the rolling-in-dough Cowboys worth? Forbes says $6.5 billion. The smartest business consultant in NFL circles, Marc Ganis, told me he thinks Jones would get $8 billion or $8.5 billion if he tried to sell. Jones, when I asked him, said:
“Ten up.”
Asked to clarify, he said, “more than $10 billion.”
So yeah. Metric tons of cash.
Imagine what the Chicago Bears could go for if the Broncos are going for $4.5 billion. They’re a founding franchise in one of the country’s largest media markets. If that weren’t enough, they are getting ready to construct a state-of-the-art stadium in Arlington Heights which should only increase their overall value. It isn’t a stretch to think they could sniff that ceiling Jones thinks is possible.
As much as history and love for George Halas’ legacy play a part in this, everything has a price at the end of the day. If a buyer came forward with an offer of $8 billion to buy the Chicago Bears, it feels almost impossible to turn down. The McCaskey family could finally escape the constant scrutiny of fans and ride off into the sunset with their pockets swollen with dollar bills. There is little room for sentimentality in business.
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