Seahawks Hit Auction Block At Record $11B—Super Bowl Champs Liquidated

Jody Allen raised the 12 flag at Lumen Field before the NFC Championship the way her brother Paul had done in 2006, 2014, and 2015. Hours later, she held the George Halas Trophy on the FOX broadcast and told the country she was “incredibly proud to be standing here, accepting this on behalf of all the 12s”. Ten days after her Seahawks destroyed New England 29-13 in Super Bowl LX, she announced the franchise was for sale. The party was always going to end this way. Paul made sure of that before he died.

The Moving Vans

In February 1996, Seahawks owner Ken Behring ordered moving vans to the team’s Kirkland headquarters, pointed toward Southern California. Seattle was about to lose its NFL franchise, and no one with the money had stepped up … until Paul Allen came along. He bought the Seahawks in 1997 for $194 million, funded a statewide special election, and convinced 51% of Washington voters to build the stadium that became the loudest in the league. Pete Carroll said he would “never have left USC” without Allen’s vision and spirit. Without that one check, there are no Seahawks.

The Team Won the Super Bowl

Eight years after Allen died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma at 65, everything he built delivered a championship. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries and caught two passes for 26 more—161 scrimmage yards—earning MVP honors as the first running back to win the award since Terrell Davis in 1998. The defense sacked Drake Maye six times. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the AP Offensive Player of the Year with 119 catches and 1,793 yards, carved up the Patriots all night. The franchise’s best 14-3 season came out of a division so loaded that three NFC West teams made the Divisional Round with 10-plus wins, an NFL first.

The Guitar Player at the Victory Party

Russell Wilson told a story at the 2019 Ring of Honor ceremony that captures who Allen was. After winning the 2014 NFC Championship, Wilson was singing Frank Sinatra on the podium. Allen tapped him: “I didn’t know you liked Frank.” Next morning, a knock on Wilson’s hotel door, a box of Sinatra CDs and tapes, hand-delivered by a billionaire who just wanted to share something he loved. At the Super Bowl XLVIII victory celebration, Allen was on stage with his band, the Underthinkers. Carroll’s review: “Paul was hot, he was tearing it up—big licks”. That was the owner. A guy who played guitar at his own championship party and mailed Sinatra records to his quarterback.

His Sister Let the Football People Work

Jody Allen doesn’t hold press conferences or parade through locker rooms. Mike Macdonald revealed they hold weekly Zoom calls the day after every game and described her input as “a piercing question” that “gets right to the point”. In Macdonald’s second season as head coach, that approach delivered the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Seattle crushed San Francisco 41-6 in the Divisional Round, then held off the Rams 31-27 for the conference title. When it was over, Macdonald’s four-word answer was already being etched into franchise lore: “We. Did. Not. Care”.

The Directive That Changes Everything

Allen’s will was unambiguous: sell the teams, send every dollar to charity. He gave more than $2 billion in his lifetime to brain science, wildlife conservation, and education. The Portland Trail Blazers went first, with the estate agreeing to sell to Tom Dundon’s group for $4.25 billion. Now comes the main event. Allen & Company and Latham & Watkins are running the Seahawks sale, expected to stretch through the 2026 offseason before 24 of 32 NFL owners ratify the deal. Mike Florio projects the final price between $9 billion and $11 billion. Allen paid $194 million.

The MVP They Let Walk

Walker earned Super Bowl MVP honors, went to Disney World, and three weeks later, the Seahawks declined to franchise-tag him. The tag would have cost approximately $14.5 million. GM John Schneider chose to protect cap space for Smith-Njigba’s extension instead. Walker will become only the fourth Super Bowl MVP to change teams in the offseason after winning the award, following Larry Brown, Desmond Howard, and Dexter Jackson, the most recent in 2003. He’s not alone heading out the door. Tariq Woolen, Coby Bryant, and Boye Mafe are all unrestricted free agents. Schneider at the Combine: “It’s going to be a challenge to figure this year’s puzzle out”.

Business As Usual

Schneider relayed a conversation with Jody Allen after the sale announcement: “She’s like, ‘Let’s go for it, let’s rip it'”. He said he plans to call Denver GM George Paton, who navigated the Broncos’ ownership transition to Rob Walton in 2022, for guidance. A controlling buyer must hold at least a 30% equity stake under league rules, which narrows the field quickly. Jeff Bezos has been floated, but reportedly isn’t interested. Ballmer, Gates, and MacKenzie Scott have surfaced in local speculation. Florio’s best guess: “some tech billionaire that we don’t know about now who just pops up with the biggest bid”.​

Seattle Isn’t Losing Its Team

If there’s one fear keeping 12s up at night, it’s relocation. Lumen Field’s lease runs through 2032 with three 10-year extension options. Whoever writes the check keeps the team in Seattle. The Washington Commanders’ $6.05 billion sale in 2023 is the current NFL record. A recent 1% stake sale of the Miami Dolphins implied a $12.5 billion enterprise value, handing the Allen Estate’s bankers fresh ammunition. Seattle will shatter the record.

The Last Gift

Wilson stood at the podium after the Ring of Honor game with tears running down his face. “Paul was a person who believed big,” he said. “He created Microsoft. He made a difference in the world. Cared about others, cared about animals, people, loved music”. Jody Allen put it simply in the press release announcing her brother’s induction: “He was the proudest 12 of all”. Every dollar from a sale projected north of $9 billion will fund the causes Allen spent his life building. He saved this franchise from a moving van in 1996. He turned $194 million into a dynasty. And even from the grave, he’s making sure it all means something bigger than football.

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Sources:
ESPN: “Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III named MVP of Super Bowl LX” (Feb. 8, 2026)
ESPN: “Paul Allen’s estate begins selling Super Bowl champ Seahawks” (Feb. 18, 2026)
ESPN: “Seahawks’ Wilson tearful in remembering Allen” (Oct. 3, 2019)
Seattle Times: “Seahawks going up for sale, Paul G. Allen estate announces” (Feb. 18, 2026)
GeekWire: “Paul Allen to become 12th member of Seattle Seahawks’ Ring of Honor” (Oct. 2, 2019)
NBC Sports: “Mike Florio projects Seahawks sale at $9-11 billion” (Feb. 7, 2026)