The NFL has plenty of teams that take losses in big spots every season. However, it is impressively rare for the entire league to take a loss. With the Sunday Ticket lawsuit costing potentially $14 billion, the league is stuck with a massive bill to pay off. Most fans would likely view it as a debt, but one NFL analyst views it as a business opportunity.

Speaking on Tuesday’s edition of “Pro Football Talk,” NFL analyst Mike Florio said that adding two teams to the pot would pay for the expense with little extra effort. It would also increase the league’s revenue considerably.

Mike Florio: [00:19:39] “With the NFL having to come up with $14 billion, the easiest way to do it is to expand the league and sell franchises. … Teams are worth like seven, eight, nine billion. Now you can have two teams. … Two teams expand to 34. Problem solved. You’ve paid off the $14 billion and you’ve added two teams.” [00:20:31][51.8] PFT

The $14 billion bill would be a one-time fee, and the teams would be an investment that could generate money for the rest of the league’s life. Specifically, the league would need to make a couple of teams and sell them to the long list of billionaires in line to get in on one of the largest, most reliable investments in the world.

According to Forbes, a 2023 valuation of the league’s teams claims that the cheapest team, the Cincinnati Bengals is worth $3.2 billion. However, several factors can drive up the price. For instance, a bidding war and/or teams made specifically to be sold could drive up the cost considerably.

If the NFL were to market the team and hold off on making it for a few years, more billionaires would have time to organize a purchase plan, increasing bidders and driving up the cost.

Exploring potential NFL expansion team candidates

Roger Goodell at Super Bowl LVIII – San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City Chiefs – Source: Getty
There are thousands of towns and cities in the United States, and as such, there are technically thousands of options. However, some markets are clearly better than others.

San Antonio has demonstrated an appetite for an NFL team via its packed stadiums in spring leagues in the past. Additionally, Kansas City appears to be making a ploy to entice the Kansas City Chiefs to move. If they don’t get the Chiefs, they might be interested in their own team.

Additionally, some markets might be big enough to take on an extra team. New York could be one location. Also, there’s a potential opportunity to give a team back to a city that lost a team in the past. St. Louis, Missouri, San Diego and Oakland have all lost teams in the last 15 years, leaving St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders fans stranded and hungry.

Will the league take the potential $14 billion loss on the chin or pull a Houdini act by resurrecting an older market like that of the Oakland Raiders to generate a solution?

If any of the above quotes are used, credit “Pro Football Talk,” and H/T Sportskeeda.

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Edited by Piyush Bisht