Is there any truth behind the speculation the Chicago Bears might be sold?
If you have been following along with the news around the NFL, then you have heard the Denver Broncos franchise was recently sold to Rob Walton. If you do not know who that is, he is the heir of Walmart and also a billionaire. Even though Forbes had the Broncos franchise valued at $3.75 billion in 2021, Walton paid $4.65 billion. Could this sale have the majority of the McCaskey family licking their lips at the chance to now sell the Chicago Bears?
This is the speculation that was put into the stratosphere by The Draft Network’s Justin Melo. Melo stated that he believes the next team to likely be sold is the Chicago Bears. Now, Melo’s speculation is not unjustified. Just last year, it was rumored that the Chicago Bears were having serious internal talks about possibly selling the team. My assumption is that the conversations were based on the death of the majority owner, Virginia McCaskey. The daughter of founder George Halas is 98 years old and it is unlikely she lives for too many more years.
Would the McCaskeys choose to sell the Chicago Bears soon?
Forbes had the Chicago Bears as the seventh-most valuable NFL franchise last year. To compare them to the Broncos (ranked 10th), the Bears have a current value of $4.075 billion. With the Broncos selling for nearly $1 billion more than what the franchise is worth, it is likely that the Chicago Bears see a sale price north of $5 billion. That is crazy. The question is, does this change things now, one year later, for the McCaskey family? We will have to wait and see.
My best guess on the situation without any inside information is that the McCaskeys will not sell. Even when Virginia McCaskey passes, it just makes sense for this family to keep their ownership. Most of the members of the board are McCaskeys — five of eight — and this is all they have ever known. This is their bread and butter. With the purchase of Arlington Heights International Raceway, I’d believe the franchise could be worth even more.
Selling may put a large sum of money into their pockets quickly, but in the long run, keeping the team is more profitable — even with the cost of a new stadium. I understand the speculation that the Bears could be the next team to sell. I just do not believe it — even if many of us want it to happen. The franchise has been in the family since its creation, the family just purchased land to possibly build a new stadium in Arlington Heights (could be a selling point though too), and this team is all that most of the McCaskeys have.
It’s just more speculation on my part, but why would they sell?