Big news hit the NFL world on Saturday as the sale of the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks was finally completed. A group led by San Francisco 49ers partner Vinod Khosla agreed to purchase the Seahawks for a record $9.612 billion, which far surpasses the previous NFL record of $6.05 billion when the Washington Commanders sold a few years back.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen bought the Seahawks for $194 million in 1997 and the team has been owned by his estate since his death in 2018. It turned out to be a pretty solid investment that brought two championships to Seattle, and the news had ESPN’s Tony Grossi wondering about how much the Cleveland Browns could be worth.
In response to the Seahawks sale, Grossi noted that the next team sale will be for more than what the Seahawks sold for, meaning the Browns should now be valued at at least $10 billion.
“The next NFL team sale will bring more. Which means the Browns now valued at least $10 billion. Haslams paid $1.005 billion in 2012,” said Grossi.
The next NFL team sale will bring more. Which means the Browns now valued at least $10 billion. Haslams paid $1.005 billion in 2012. https://t.co/5DHlZAtuJW
— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) July 12, 2026
NFL teams don’t sell very often, as this was only the fourth team sold since the Haslams bought the Browns in 2012. Prior to the Commanders sale, the Denver Broncos sold for $4.65 billion in 2022 and the Carolina Panthers sold for $2.28 billion in 2018. It sounds somewhat ridiculous when you first hear about the Browns potentially being worth $10 billion, but it just might be the case.
With a new stadium in the works and being in a decent-sized market, it doesn’t matter that the Browns haven’t won much over the years. Every team’s valuation is increasing dramatically year over year, and it’s tough to envision a world where the next team sells for less than the Seahawks sold for.
None of this means the Browns are up for sale, but it’s still wild to think about how far the whole league has come. The most important thing is what happens on the field in 2026, and hopefully, this team can play like one that is worth $10 billion.
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