Amazon Founder Reportedly Out Of Washington Commanders Ownership Race

The Washington Commanders remains up for sale and as fans await the entire saga to play out, one name that is unlikely to make a bid is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos–if the latest updates are to be believed.

According to Theodore Schleifer of Puck News, Bezos is not planning on making a play for the Commanders despite being rumored to do so due to his silence about the matter.

"I learned, from a source with direct knowledge of the matter, that Bezos is not in the bidding process and is not currently planning to make a bid for the team. That reporting should theoretically put an end to the rampant speculation that Bezos, along with his bankers at Allen & Co.," Schleifer wrote.

With him being ruled out, the frontrunners to purchase the franchise from Dan Snyder and his wife Tanya are Josh Harris, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, and Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos.

Unlike Bezos, both Harris' group, which also features NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson, submitted a formal bid worth $6 billion to become the next owner of the Commanders.

In Apostolopoulos' case, sources report that he is also a supposedly "legitimate contender" to take over the franchise.

While other outlets like Front Office Sports have since reported on Bezos dipping out on the race, the International Business Times cannot independently confirm such claims.

Bezos' interest in the Commanders has been well-documented as many fans were of the opinion that he would allow things to play out in the meantime before throwing his hat in the ring with a big-money offer that will force Snyder to sell to him.

There has been a concern as to the true involvement of Bezos in the Commanders' sale, with many unnamed sources in the know being worried that bids outside of the third-richest man in the world are only a smokescreen of sorts for him to gauge the market.

Should Bezos be out of the process, it is highly likely that the Commanders will end up in the hands of Harris due to his track record in the field of sports.

Harris serves as the managing partner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils while also being the general partner of Crystal Palace F.C.–the former two being under Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.

The race for the ownership is only expected to heat up in the coming days as the calendar draws closer to May 22–the date for when many believe to be a new owner will be revealed.