NFL Officially Approves Josh Harris As New Commanders Owner

The NFL voted at today’s scheduled meeting to approve the sale of the Washington Commanders to Josh Harris, per Adam Schefter.

Commissioner Roger Goodell issued the following statement:

“Congratulations to Josh Harris and his impressive group of partners. Josh will be a great addition to the NFL. He has a remarkable record in business, sports, and in his communities. The diverse group that Josh has put together is outstanding for its business acumen and strong Washington ties and we welcome them to the NFL as well.

“I met Josh several years ago, prior to his acquisition of an interest in the Steelers and have been fortunate to get to know him better over the past few months. I know he has a commitment to winning on the field, but also to running an organization that everyone will be proud of — and to making positive contributions in the community.”

This has been in the works for some time now and this vote was essentially a rubber stamp formality after a process that zeroed in on Harris several weeks ago.  

Still, it marks a significant day for the Washington football franchise after decades mired in scandal and mediocrity under now former owner Dan Snyder. 

The two sides reached a purchase agreement back in May to sell the team to Harris and his ownership group for a record $6.05 billion. 

Harris co-founded a sports management group that owns the New Jersey Devils as well as the Philadelphia 76ers. Harris’ net worth is somewhere in the range of $6 billion.

He was deep in talks to buy the Denver Broncos last year but withdrew after it became clear he would be outbid by the Walton-Penner group.