When soon-to-be-former Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver announced that the team will be sold to Shahid Khan, Weaver said that nothing in the contract prevents Khan from moving the team.
But if Khan moves the team, it could be a bit more pricey to do so.
Jason La Canfora of NFL Network reports that, if Khan moves the Jaguars within five years, Khan will be required to pay $25 million to the charity of Weaver’s choice. (It remains to be seen whether Weaver believes charity begins in the home.)
Of course, it potentially would cost a lot more than $25 million, given the contents of the Jaguars’ lease, which requires three straight years of financial losses or proof that the city has failed to maintain the stadium. (That said, everything is negotiable; if the Jags are intent on leaving, there’s a number that Khan could pay to buy his way out of the deal.)
Then there’s the reality that, if the Jags would move to Los Angeles and see the value of the team dramatically increase, the other owners would impose a hefty “relocation fee” upon the team.
So it would be very expensive -- on at least three fronts -- to move, and the $25 million payment to a charity of Weaver’s choice would be the least of Khan’s concerns. But if the team’s value would expand from $760 million to $1.5 billion, Shahid Khan would be able to come up with the cash, if he had to.
All that said, Khan has said that he intends to keep the team in Jacksonville. At this point, there’s no reason to doubt him.