The sale of the Seattle Seahawks appears to be moving from speculation to substance, with two more credible buyer groups reportedly preparing bids for the defending Super Bowl champions.

According to Sportico, Boston Celtics investor Aditya Mittal and former Celtics lead owner Wyc Grousbeck have submitted a letter of interest to Allen & Company, the investment bank overseeing the sale on behalf of the estate of late Seahawks owner Paul Allen. Reuters, citing Sportico, reported that Mittal would provide significant financial backing, while Grousbeck would effectively operate the Seahawks from Seattle on a part-time basis because Mittal is based in London.

That pairing is not the only group now linked with the franchise. Sportico has also reported that Vinod Khosla, the billionaire co-founder of Sun Microsystems and a current San Francisco 49ers investor, is preparing a bid. Any serious pursuit from Khosla comes with the obvious complication that NFL rules would require him to sell his stake in the 49ers before taking control of the Seahawks, one of San Francisco’s divisional rivals.

The latest reporting gives the process a more tangible shape after an earlier burst of high-profile speculation around Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and Apple executive Tim Cook. Front Office Sports reported last week that both men had been discussed as potential bidders, but Sports Business Journal later reported that both had denied interest. Front Office Sports itself updated its report to say a source close to Apple described the Cook rumour as ‘completely false’.

The Seahawks were formally placed on the market on 18th February, just 10 days after winning Super Bowl LX, in keeping with Paul Allen’s instruction that his sports holdings eventually be sold and the proceeds directed to philanthropy. Allen & Company and Latham & Watkins are running the process, which the Seahawks said was expected to continue through the 2026 offseason before any final agreement is put to NFL owners for approval.

Paul Allen bought the Seahawks in 1997 for $194m, a move widely credited with keeping the franchise in Seattle. The next transaction will operate on an entirely different scale as Forbes has valued the Seahawks at $6.7bn, while projections around the sale have ranged from roughly $8bn to more than $10bn, almost ensuring that the price surpasses the $6.05bn record set by the Washington Commanders in 2023.

For Seattle fans, the main comfort is that relocation is not expected to be part of the conversation. The Seahawks’ lease at Lumen Field runs through 2032 and includes three further 10-year options, while the franchise comes to market not as a distressed asset but as a champion in a strong NFL market.