Ndamukong Suh nearly joined $9.612 billion Seahawks ownership deal in 2026 but walked away over timing
Suh revealed that he had an opportunity to join the group that won the bid for the Seahawks.
“There’s a lot of things I’m not in that I would love to be in,” Suh said during the FOS Asset Class event. “Timing and being in the right position is everything,” he said. The deal was led by technology investor Vinod Khosla, who assembled a group of investors to buy the NFL team from the estate of its late owner, Paul G. Allen.
Former NFL star Ndamukong Suh came close to investing in the Seattle Seahawks as part of the group led by Vinod Khosla, which bought the team for $9.612 billion in 2026. The five-time Pro Bowler shared the details at the Front Office Sports Asset Class event on September 15. The Seahawks purchase was a record-setting deal, valued at $9.612 billion. NFL team owners unanimously approved the sale at a special league meeting in Atlanta on August 26, 2026. The transaction closed on September 3, and the new ownership group announced its minority investors, led by venture capitalist Mark Stevens. Suh played for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles during his 13-year NFL career. He earned more than $168 million in playing contracts, according to Spotrac.
Because the timing was not right, however, Suh decided not to move forward. Front Office Sports had previously reported that a former Seattle player had considered joining Khosla’s group, but the player’s identity was not known. Suh also spoke about his interest in owning professional sports teams and explained why choosing the right time and position matters before making a major investment. Suh was not the only former NFL player linked to a possible investment in the Seahawks. The Seahawks were not the only professional sports teams Suh considered buying into. He also looked at the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA and the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Both teams are based in his hometown of Portland, Oregon, but neither deal moved forward for him.