Report: Seahawks Expected to Be Put Up for Sale Following Super Bowl 60
As the Seattle Seahawks gear up for their long-awaited return to the Super Bowl, a new storyline is emerging off the field-one that could reshape the franchise’s future just as dramatically as its current postseason run has revived its legacy.
According to a report citing league and ownership sources, the Seahawks are expected to be put up for sale following their Super Bowl 60 matchup against the New England Patriots on February 8. While the organization has not confirmed the report, it aligns with a long-anticipated outcome stemming from the wishes of late owner Paul Allen.
Allen, who purchased the Seahawks in 1997 and transformed them into one of the NFL’s most consistently competitive franchises, left behind a directive for the Paul G. Allen Trust to eventually sell both the Seahawks and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. The proceeds from those sales are intended to be directed toward charitable causes, a reflection of Allen’s philanthropic vision.
Since Paul Allen’s passing in 2018, the Seahawks have operated under the leadership of his sister, Jody Allen, who serves as chair of the franchise through her role as trustee of the estate. Though she’s publicly maintained that the team is not currently for sale, she has acknowledged that a sale will eventually take place in accordance with her brother’s wishes.
A spokesperson for the Paul G. Allen Estate reiterated that stance in a recent statement, saying, “We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale.
We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but I have no news to share. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”
The Trail Blazers, which Paul Allen purchased in 1988, were officially put on the market last May. A deal was reached in September with a group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon.
As for the Seahawks, the timing of a potential sale may have been influenced by a key clause in the team’s ownership agreement. According to the report, a date has now passed that would have previously triggered a stipulation requiring 10% of the sale proceeds to be shared with the state of Washington. With that clause no longer in play, the financial landscape for a sale becomes considerably more favorable.
Back in 2022, former Seahawks quarterback and current Seattle sports analyst Brock Huard offered some insight into the timing of a sale. He pointed to a contractual provision related to Lumen Field, the team’s publicly funded $430 million stadium, which included what he described as a “poison pill” designed to discourage an early sale. According to Huard, selling the team before 2025 or 2026 would have forced the franchise to return hundreds of millions of dollars in public funding-an outcome ownership was unlikely to entertain.
Jody Allen addressed the future of both the Seahawks and Trail Blazers in a 2022 statement, emphasizing her commitment to building championship-caliber teams while also acknowledging the long-term plan to eventually sell. “There is no pre-ordained timeline by which the teams must be sold,” she said. “Estates of this size and complexity can take 10 to 20 years to wind down.”
That long horizon may now be narrowing. And with the Seahawks back on the NFL’s biggest stage for the first time since the 2014 season, the timing couldn’t be more symbolic.
The franchise’s rise under Paul Allen was nothing short of remarkable. From their first Super Bowl appearance in the 2005 season to their dominant championship run in 2013, Allen’s influence was deeply felt in every aspect of the organization. Now, under Jody Allen’s stewardship, the Seahawks have returned to the pinnacle of the sport.
This year’s team, led by head coach Mike Macdonald-who took over just two seasons ago following the departure of Pete Carroll-has already made history. Seattle not only earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed, but also posted a franchise-record 14 regular-season wins. They powered through the playoffs with victories over the 49ers and Rams to punch their ticket to Santa Clara for Super Bowl 60.
While the focus remains on finishing this unforgettable season with a championship, the looming possibility of a sale adds another layer to the story. If this is the final chapter of the Allen family’s ownership of the Seahawks, it’s shaping up to be a fitting sendoff-one that honors the legacy of Paul Allen and sets the stage for a new era in Seattle.