AP source: Magic Johnson joins bid for Commanders

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because details of the bid are not being publicized.

Johnson, a basketball Hall of Famer who has become a prominent executive, is already involved in sports ownership with stakes in Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles F.C. and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. He was also part of Harris’ unsuccessful bid to buy the Denver Broncos, who were instead sold to a group led by Walmart heir Rob Walton for a record $4.65 billion.

The Commanders are expected to sell for more, which would be the highest price paid for a North American professional sports franchise. Forbes estimates the team is worth $5.6 billion.

Harris along with partner David Blitzer owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils. Washington-area billionaire Mitchell Rales is also reportedly part of Harris’ group.

Amid multiple investigations into workplace conduct and potential financial improprieties, longtime owner Dan Snyder and wife Tanya began exploring selling part or all of the team in the fall. Any sale would need to be approved by three-quarters of NFL owners, which could happen at their upcoming meeting in Arizona.

Snyder’s ownership has been a hot-button issue for years, since several employees came out about workplace harassment, which prompted a league investigation and a $10 million fine. When no written report of Beth Wilkinson’s investigation was produced, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform launched its own review of the situation, which included a referral to the Federal Trade Commission.

The league retained former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White to investigate, and that probe is ongoing. At a league meeting in October, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said there was “merit to remove” Snyder — who then hired Bank of America Securities two weeks later.

RAIDERS: The Las Vegas Raiders have signed unrestricted free agents Jordan Willis and O.J. Howard. Willis is a defensive lineman who played for the San Francisco 49ers the past 2 1/2 seasons. He has 92 tackles, 10 1/2 sacks and 15 tackles for loss over a six-year career. Howard is a tight end who played for the Houston Texans last season. He has 129 catches for 1,882 yards with 17 touchdowns over six years.

TITANS: The Tennessee Titans have agreed to terms on a contract with free agent cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting. Murphy-Bunting was a second-round pick in 2019 by Tampa Bay and played a key role in helping the Buccaneers win the Super Bowl in his second season. Murphy-Bunting played 53 games with 36 starts in four years in Tampa Bay. He had 139 tackles, six interceptions, and 21 passes defensed in his career, along with four forced fumbles. He had two interceptions and 31 tackles in 12 games last season.

LIONS: The Detroit Lions took another step in revamping the secondary, signing safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Detroit added Gardner-Johnson on an $8 million one-year deal, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke Monday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms have not been announced.

PACKERS: The Green Bay Packers have re-signed safety Rudy Ford and cornerback Corey Ballentine. Ford joined the Packers just before the start of the 2022 season and made a career-high six starts while playing all 17 games. Ballentine joined the Packers practice squad last September and was promoted to the active roster in November.

49ERS: The San Francisco 49ers have signed free agent safety Myles Hartsfield to a one-year contract and re-signed tight end Ross Dwelley to a one-year deal. Hartsfield spent the past three seasons in Carolina after signing with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Dwelley originally joined San Francisco as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He has 43 catches for 506 yards and five TDs in 72 games.

STEELERS: The Pittsburgh Steelers have promoted Denzel Martin to outside linebackers coach and hired Baltimore Ravens assistant Jason Brooks as a defensive quality control coach.

BROWNS: Joshua Dobbs is back with the Browns as a backup. The free agent quarterback, who spent most of last season with Cleveland, agreed to a one-year contract and will be the team’s No. 2 quarterback behind Deshaun Watson next season.