When NFL owners gather in Orlando next week, they’ll get an update on the pending sale of the Panthers.
They won’t be hearing from the for-now owner of the Panthers, however.
Per Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer, Jerry Richardson will skip the event again, sending COO Tina Becker to the meeting to speak in his place instead.
That’s firmly #asexpected, as Richardson has avoided league meetings for the last several years, other than an appearance at a spring meeting which happened to be in Charlotte.
He has taken a back seat in league matters anyway, stepping away from all the committees he previously served on. But the ongoing league investigation of his workplace misconduct (which sparked his quick decision to sell the team) didn’t do anything to encourage him to travel.
Owners are expected to get an update from someone involved with the team on the status of the sale talks. The latest name to emerge, according to a report from the Observer, is Canadian steel magnate Alan Kestenbaum. He joins Steelers minority partner David Tepper, South Carolina businessman Ben Navarro, and Philadelphia e-commerce investor Michael Rubin.