The Seattle Seahawks are expected to be put up for sale after Super Bowl LX, according to league and ownership sources, bringing an end to years of uncertainty surrounding the franchise’s future ownership following the death of Paul Allen in 2018.
Sources indicated that sale discussions have been ongoing at league and ownership level for at least the past week.
The Seahawks have been owned by Allen’s estate since his death, with his sister Jody Allen acting as executor of the trust. Allen directed that both the Seahawks and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers be sold, with proceeds ultimately donated to charity.
An NFL spokesperson declined to comment. A spokesperson for the Paul Allen estate said the organisation does not comment on speculation and reiterated that “the team is not for sale”, while acknowledging that a sale would eventually take place in line with Allen’s wishes.
“We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but I have no news to share,” the spokesperson said. “Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”
The Seahawks are now beyond the point at which a sale would have required sharing 10 percent of the proceeds with the state of Washington.
If the franchise is sold following Super Bowl LX, it would mark the first time in the Super Bowl era that a team competing in the championship game is placed on the market shortly afterwards.
Seattle face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on February 8 in Santa Clara, California.
Paul Allen purchased the Seahawks from Ken Behring in 1996, with the deal finalised in 1997, saving the franchise from a potential relocation to Southern California. A future sale could set a new benchmark for an NFL franchise value, particularly if it follows a Super Bowl appearance or victory.
The Seahawks have reached the playoffs in seven of the past 10 seasons and play at Lumen Field, widely regarded as one of the league’s most challenging venues for visiting teams. The stadium is also undergoing close to $20 million in upgrades ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The franchise is led by general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald, a pairing considered among the league’s strongest.
Jody Allen has rarely spoken publicly during her tenure overseeing the Seahawks, but addressed fans at Lumen Field after the NFC Championship Game last weekend.
“I’m incredibly proud to be standing here today and accepting this on behalf of all the 12s here, all the 12s across the country and all the 12s across the globe,” she said.
Allen previously stated in 2022 that there was no fixed timeline for selling the teams, citing the complexity of the estate.
“Until then, my focus – and that of our teams – is on winning,” she said at the time.
