There doesn’t appear to be any more of the “will Dan Snyder sell the Washington Commanders” talk. Instead, now it’s only a matter of when Snyder sells the Commanders.
Saturday was a crazy night full of rumors regarding Snyder selling the team. As of now, they are all rumors, and the team confirmed as much in a statement to Scott Abraham of ABC 7 in Washington.
Regardless of where things currently stand in the public eye, a sale does appear imminent.
On Sunday, Ben Standig of The Athletic uncovered more evidence that a potential sale is coming soon.
In speaking to multiple sources who have viewed the new contracts of defensive tackle Daron Payne and two other recently-signed players, Washington has extended the payout date of the signing bonuses given to Payne and others signed last week.
The common practice is to pay out at least part of the signing bonus within 15-30 days of signing the contract. The Commanders have extended the payout date by two months, according to Standig’s sources.
The new date is May 12, 2023, two months after Payne’s new deal.
Considering what is happening with Washington’s sale, it aligns with Snyder’s intention to sell the team — and soon. The NFL’s goal has always been to resolve this by the owner’s meetings, which begin next week.
At the end of the regular season, head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew met with the media and discussed the budget. They didn’t indicate the terms of the budget, but the fact they used the word led many to believe their hands were tied as it pertained to making large transactions.
However, when Rivera spoke to the media later, he said he had spoken with the Snyder family, and the Commanders were proceeding in business-as-usual mode.
It sounds like the Commanders received word ahead of free agency that larger deals could be made, with the payout of the signing bonus being delayed by two months.
Could we hear news this week regarding the future of the Commanders?