Meet the billionaires who own the 32 coveted NFL franchises
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay and new coach Jeff Saturday.
Even Jeff Saturday was shocked when Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay called to offer him the head coaching position for the besieged NFL team.
A former two-time All-Pro center who snapped the ball to Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for 12 seasons, Saturday surely knows his X's and O's.
But the TV analyst's only coaching experience was a three-year stint at Hebron Christian Academy in Georgia, where he led the team to a 20-16 record with three playoff appearances.
Irsay's decision stunned people internally and around the league, though his affinity for Saturday was known throughout the organisation. Saturday played 13 seasons for the Colts, made the Pro Bowl six times, helped them win a Super Bowl and is a member of the team's Ring of Honor.
Critics immediately went after Irsay for hiring an inexperienced former player instead of elevating someone from the coaching staff, which is typical during in-season firings.
Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III called Irsay's decision "a head-scratching slap in the face to every coach on that staff" in a post on Twitter.
Irsay made a bold, outside-the-box move that opened him up for scrutiny and criticism. It's clear he doesn't care about public perception.
Still no interview for 'dirt file' owner
Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder still hasn't been interviewed for the NFL's investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against him.
Former US Attorney Mary Jo White was hired in February to conduct the investigation and the NFL has promised to release a written report of the findings. The league has said there's no timeline for White to complete the probe. White also handled the league's investigation into Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross earlier this year.
"I anticipate at some point that it'll be scheduled and she'll meet with him and ask him questions and he'll answer them," Commanders legal counsel John Brownlee said on the AP Pro Football Podcast. "He sat for an 11-hour deposition, as you know, before Congress this summer. (He) did a great job, answered every question. ... He's doing his best to cooperate with all of these things that are going on, and we feel confident that once people kind of learn the actual facts, they'll realise that these allegations are not true."
Brownlee indicated Snyder would likely be the last person White would interview for the investigation. The league declined to comment.
White's current review follows the league's initial independent investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson's firm commissioned in 2020, which found Washington's workplace culture to be toxic. Snyder and the team were fined $10 million in July 2021, and the league said he turned day-to-day operations over to wife Tanya, but no written report of the findings was released.
Brownlee says Snyder is no longer under any restrictions, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that his status hasn't changed. Tanya Snyder has represented the team at league meetings, including last Tuesday in New York.
"He's under no restrictions from the NFL or anyone else with regard to what he does or what he can do," Brownlee said.
A league spokesman reiterated Thursday that Goodell's comment stands and Snyder's status hasn't changed. Goodell said in August he'll discuss it with Snyder after the investigations are completed and there's a resolution.
Brownlee says the Snyders together made the decision that Tanya should attend the league meetings.
"She's just done a great job and I think he recognises that," Brownlee said. "I think the other folks within the organisation recognise it. I think she enjoys it. And so, this is a really strong team. They've been married for almost 30 years. ... They've done everything really together as a team. And so in light of kind of everything that's going on, I think they jointly made the decision that she would take a more prominent role as an owner and represent the team at the league meetings. And, she's really been embraced. It's really been positive. There aren't too many female owners in the league. And so she's one and she's got real strong relationships with many of the owners. And so it's been a real positive for her, for the team, for the league."
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has taken a hard stance against Snyder, saying there's "merit to remove " him as owner based on the allegations. Removing Snyder would be unprecedented and requires 24 votes from the other owners.
"Mr. Irsay has acknowledged that he doesn't have the evidence," Brownlee said. "He's never been briefed on the evidence, whatever evidence exists. And so I think that's important. I'm not sure why he felt compelled to speak about an investigation for which he's not been briefed but that was his choice. We do think that it's important, as the Commissioner noted, to wait and listen to the evidence, evaluate it, look what it says, and then you can make judgments about it."
Earlier this month, ESPN reported, citing anonymous sources, Snyder has hired private investigators and told people he has enough information to expose fellow owners and Goodell.
The Commanders denied the contents of the report, calling it "categorically untrue" and "clearly part of a well-funded, two-year campaign to coerce the sale of the team, which will continue to be unsuccessful."
Snyder addressed the report in a letter to owners.
"That is patently false and intended to erode the trust and goodwill between owners that I take quite seriously," he wrote.
Snyder has owned the team since 1999. He and the organization are currently the subject of ongoing investigations by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
The league's latest investigation came after Tiffani Johnston, who worked for Washington for eight years starting in 2002 as a cheerleader and marketing manager, told the committee in February that Snyder placed his hand on her thigh without her consent at a team dinner, and that he pushed her toward his limousine with his hand on her lower back. She had not previously disclosed those allegations to the media or investigators.
Another former team employee, Jason Friedman, corroborated Johnston's account in a letter to the committee.
"It's our understanding that Ms. Wilkinson offered to interview Ms. Johnston when she was doing her investigation, and she declined," Brownlee said. "The reality is there's just no evidence that ever occurred. All you have is this allegation uncorroborated. No physical evidence, no calendar confirmation, no receipt confirmation. But you have an allegation and it has just spread. It's as if when the media reports it, it's as if it actually happened."
Washington Commanders - Dan Snyder and family, net worth; $4.9 billion ($7.5 million AUD)
Owned team since: 1999
Age: 57
Money made: Snyder and sister Michele began in advertising before expanding to marketing, telemarketing and communications. Revenues for Snyder Communications rose to $9 million ($13.8 million AUD) by 1993, and by 1996 he was the youngest CEO of a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange at age 32. The company had over $1 billion ($1.5 billion AUD) in annual revenues in 1998, a year before he bought the team for $750 million ($1.1 billion AUD) , with much of that money coming in the form of loans. He made $300 million by selling Snyder Communications in a $2 billion agreement in 2000.
Franchise value (rank): $5.6 billion ($8.6 billion AUD) (6th)
Noteworthy: Was pressured by sponsors to drop the team's former name in the summer of 2020. … The team was punished in 2012 for circumventing salary cap rules. … After dozens of former employees said they were sexually harassed while working for the team, an NFL investigation found Snyder oversaw a toxic workplace environment. Washington was fined $10 million and Snyder stepped away from day-to-day operations of the team for several months. When a written report was not released, a congressional investigation into the organisation was launched, which also found potential financial improprieties. … Bought out minority owners in March 2021. Team has won just two playoff games in 23 years.
Tennessee Titans - Amy Adam Strunk, 68; net worth: $1.6 billion ($2.4 billion AUD)
Owned team since: 2015
Money made: Daughter of the late K.S. "Bud" Adams who founded the then-Houston Oilers and was co-founder of the AFL, which later merged with the NFL. Her father also founded KSA Industries, which included the team he relocated to Nashville in 1997. His estate was placed into a trust when he died in 2013 and divided between his two daughters, Amy and Susie, with each receiving a third share of the franchise and a third of KSA Industries. The other third was divided into three 11 per cent shares to the widow and sons of Adams' late son, Kenneth Adams III. Strunk also is a businesswoman who is owner and president of both Kenada Farms and the Little River Oil and Gas Company. She also has been involved in the Adams' family's farming and ranching businesses as a vice president of Bud Adams Ranches, Inc.
Franchise value (rank): $3.5 billion ($5.3 million) (27th)
Noteworthy: Bud Adams agreed to negotiate with Nashville, Tennessee, in August 1995, to leave Houston in exchange for a new stadium that opened for the 1999 season. The Oilers relocated to Tennessee in 1997. … The Titans went through a 5-27 stretch during which Strunk took over the team from her brother-in-law in March 2015. Under her management, the Titans have six straight winning seasons. … Strunk was appointed to the NFL's Hall of Fame Committee in 2016. She was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Board of Trustees in 2017.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Glazer Family; Net worth: $4.7 billion ($7.2 billion AUD)
Owned team since: 1995
Age: Bryan, 57; Joel, 55; Edward 50; Darcie, 53; Avram, 61; Kevin, 58
Money made: Before acquiring the NFL's Buccaneers, and later Manchester United of the Premier League, the late Malcolm Glazer amassed a family fortune primarily through real estate and other business ventures.
Franchise value (rank): $3.675 billion ($5.6 billion AUD)(24th)
Noteworthy: The Bucs were one of the least successful franchises in any of the four major US professional sports leagues when Malcolm Glazer, who died in 2014, purchased the club for a then NFL-record $192 million ($295 million) in 1995.
Seattle Seahawks - Jody Allen as trustee of the Paul G. Allen Trust, 63; Net worth; $20.4 billion ($31 billion AUD)
Owned team since: 1997
Money made: Allen took over stewardship of the Seahawks and NBA's Trail Blazers following the death of her brother Paul in 2018 from cancer. Paul Allen made his fortune as co-founder of Microsoft and purchased the Seahawks in 1997 to help keep the team from moving to Southern California under former owner Ken Behring. Paul Allen's first foray into sports ownership came in 1988 when he bought the Trail Blazers. Paul and Jody Allen also formed Vulcan, Inc., a privately held company that oversees the family's business and philanthropic endeavours.
Franchise value (rank): $4.5 billion ($6.9 billion AUD) (14th)
Noteworthy: There have been continued rumours of a potential sale of the franchise as part of Paul Allen's wishes to have most of his fortune dedicated to philanthropic ventures following his death. Jody Allen released a statement last summer that there's no timeline for possible sale.
San Francisco 49ers - Denise DeBartolo York and John York, 71 or 72, and 73; Net worth: $5.1 billion ($7.8 billion AUD)
Owned team since: 1999
Money made: The DeBartolo family made its money in real estate, with father Edward Sr. running a company that built shopping centres and malls around the country before also getting into the world of sports in 1977, buying both the 49ers and the NHL's Penguins. Denise and her husband, John, took over ownership of the 49ers in 1999 when her brother, Eddie Jr., was convicted in a Louisiana bribery case. The family's business also bought a share of the English soccer club Leeds United in 2018.
Franchise value (rank): $5.2 billion ($8 billion AUD) (8th)
Noteworthy: Denise DeBartolo York and John York put their son, Jed, in charge of the 49ers in December 2008. … Jed oversaw the opening of Levi's Stadium in 2014, when the franchise moved from Candlestick Park in San Francisco to nearby Santa Clara.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Art Rooney II, 70; Net worth: $500 million ($770 million AUD)
Owned team since: Family-owned since 1933. Rooney II became team president in 2003.
Money made: The team is the family business. Rooney took over control of the Steelers from his father, Dan Rooney, who took over the Steelers from his father, team founder Art Rooney Sr. The eldest Rooney famously paid the $5,000 franchise fee with money he won betting on horses.
Franchise value (rank): $3.975 billion ($6.1 billion AUD)(17th).
Noteworthy: Pittsburgh has had just three coaches since 1969 (Hall of Famers Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher and current coach Mike Tomlin). … The Rooneys have expanded their ownership group, with former stakeholders Jimmy Haslam (Browns) and David Tepper (Carolina) going on to own their own teams. … Dan Rooney was the architect of the "Rooney Rule" that requires teams to interview people of colour for various coaching and front office positions.
Philadelphia Eagles - Jeffrey Lurie, 71; Net worth: $4.4 billion ($6.7 billion AUD)
Owned team since: 1994
Money made: Lurie's grandfather, Philip Smith, founded General Cinema Corporation, a movie-theatre chain. Lurie used a loan to purchase the Eagles for $185 million ($285 million AUD) in 1994.
Franchise value (rank): $4.9 billion ($7.5 billion AUD) (10th)
Noteworthy: A progressive, socially conscious owner, Lurie has a B.A. from Clark University, a master's in psychology from Boston University and a Ph.D. in social policy from Brandeis University. He had a stint as an adjunct professor of social policy at Boston University. … Lurie started the Eagles Autism Foundation, which has raised more than $16 million since 2018.
New York Jets - Woody Johnson, 75; Net worth: $5.6 billion ($8.6 billion)
Owned team since: 2000
Money made: Johnson is the heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company, founded by his great-grandfather. He bought the Jets for $635 million, which in 2000 ranked as the third-highest price for a professional sports team.
Franchise value (rank): $5.4 billion ($8.3 billion AUD) (6th)
Noteworthy: Shortly after purchasing the team, Johnson announced plans to build a stadium on Manhattan's West Side. But the project was defeated and Johnson instead partnered with the Giants to build a shared stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. … Moved the team's training facility from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, to Florham Park, New Jersey, in 2008. … Served as US Ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Donald Trump from 2017-21, during which time his brother Christopher took over as acting CEO and owner. … Was accused by some staffers of making "insensitive" and "inappropriate" remarks during his tenure as ambassador, which he vehemently denied. After the report by an internal watchdog office, the State Department said no further investigation was necessary because Johnson understood the responsibilities of his diplomatic job. … The Jets currently have the NFL's longest active postseason drought at 11 seasons.
