Commanders sale fears alleviated as further details from Josh Harris' group emerge

Fears that the Washington Commanders sale might not be going according to plan were alleviated as new revelations surrounding Josh Harris' group came to light.

It's been a long, complicated process that promises to have plenty of twists and turns to come yet, but the end goal remains on track. The Washington Commanders will fall under new ownership before the 2023 season, even if the actual timeline has been called into question over the last few days.

Influential figures such as Roger Goodell, Jim Irsay, and Jerry Jones have all highlighted their confidence in the deal. There is a little more to work out during the vetting stage, but the Indianapolis Colts owner recently stated a formal vote of approval is likely to occur before Week 1 rolls around.

Fans were rightfully concerned by a report from Mike Ozanian of Forbes, who claimed that the NFL's finance committee would not approve the $6.05 billion transaction from the ownership group led by Josh Harris due to how the money if structured. Primarily, the reported $1 billion of unsecured debt relating to the deal and the number of investors involved.

"The Harris group may feel the $1 billion is equity rather than debt. But some of the $1 billion is private-equity money, so if it’s considered equity, it would violate NFL rules.” The NFL prohibits private-equity ownership of teams."

- Anonymous source via Forbes

This report was shot down by A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports - a man who's been at the forefront of the Commanders' sale right from the outset and is a respected source on the matter.

The senior reporter stated that any changes to the Harris group's bid would be minimal and will not impact the current timeline. More importantly, Perez revealed via sources that the $1 billion loan has security behind it and the number of partners stands at 20 - way below the NFL's maximum of 24.

"Multiple reports have questioned the structure of Harris’ deal, but those in Harris’ camp remain unconcerned. That’s not to say the deal isn’t complex, but that’s due to the record sale amount and the number of limited partners. While it’s not immediately clear what potential changes Harris could make, sources scoffed at reports that the bid includes $1 billion in unsecured financing which could run into issues with NFL debt rules. “The bid was thoughtfully structured and compliant with NFL rules,” a source told FOS."

- A.J. Perez, Front Office Sports

From a fan standpoint, they just want a resolution. Dan Snyder's reign of terror has completely sapped the franchise and its long-suffering support of any optimism - so the least they deserve is a smooth sailing process before receiving official confirmation.

One would be more inclined to trust Perez given his strong track record throughout the sale saga. So in that respect, go about your business this Memorial Day Weekend safe in the knowledge everything is going according to plan.