The league is still investigating Panthers owner Jerry Richardson’s alleged workplace misconduct, but otherwise the news seemed good for him.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said owners got a presentation from the Panthers on the sale of the team, and described the interest in the team as “unprecedented.”
The previous record for a sale of an NFL team was the $1.4 billion the Bills fetched in 2014, and early estimates on the Panthers sale put it in the $2.5 billion range. One bidder is in Charlotte today, and Goodell said that the hope remains a buyer will be able to be ratified at the May meeting in Atlanta.
What’s not clear is any potential punishment for Richardson.
Goodell said he hasn’t gotten an update from Mary Joe White in the last 30 days regarding her investigation, and couldn’t offer any comment beyond that. Asked if he expected to rule before the sale of the team, he said the league would rule when the investigation was complete, without a timeline.