The news that Washington majority owner Daniel Snyder will buy the minority interests held by his disgruntled limited partners carries a significant implication.
The fact that the NFL is poised to approve the transaction, which requires giving Snyder an exemption to the league’s rules regarding maximum debt, suggests that the league will not be forcing Snyder to sell in connection with the final outcome of the ongoing investigation into workplace misconduct within the Washington Football Team.
It is believed that attorney Beth Wilkinson has recommended, or will recommend, that Snyder be required to sell the team. If the league were seriously considering that approach, the league likely wouldn’t have enabled Snyder to exceed the debt limit in order to acquire full equity in the team. (On the other hand, it could be argued that the team will be more attractive to a new buyer if the new buyer is buying all of it.)
It’s currently believed that Snyder will be fined significantly for the workplace issues -- and that his limited partners separately will be fined for conduct related to their efforts to sell, including but not limited to taking the matter to court when the league’s rules clearly call for arbitration. As one source put it, the fines for Fred Smith, Robert Rothman, and Dwight Schar likely are factored into the transaction that will result in the purchase of their interest in the team.