Tom Brady may no longer play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the superstar quarterback’s retirement a year ago apparently isn’t hurting the team’s value. At least in the eyes of one interested – and wealthy – party. According to a report from Sportico on Wednesday, the Glazer family – owners of the team – rejected an offer of more than $6.05 billion to buy the club. The report did not specify when the offer was made, only that the proposal was made “recently.” Citing someone familiar with the details of the offer, Sportico added that the bidder was considered a “qualified buyer,” meaning they could afford the purchase. Not only would the price have been the highest ever paid for an NFL team, but it would also be a world record for buying control of a sports franchise, according to Sportico. Although the Bucs did not respond to Sportico’s requests for comment, the Glazers’ willingness to divest from at least partial control of sports franchises is no secret. Earlier this year, the family sold a 25 percent stake in Premier League side Manchester United for a reported $1.6 billion. According to Forbes, Man U is the world’s second most valuable soccer club at $6.55 billion. Spanish La Liga side Real Madrid is first at $6.6 billion. In its most recent valuation in August last year, Forbes valued the Bucs at $4.2 billion, putting them 24th among the 32 NFL teams. The Glazers bought the Buccaneers in 1995 for $192 million. – Field Level Media
