Dolphins owner reveals details of record-breaking offer for NFL team
Stephen Ross took control of the Miami Dolphins in 2009. Now, he could make an enormous profit on his initial investment.
NFL teams are regularly priced as the most valuable sports teams on the planet. Even so, a reported offer for the Miami Dolphins stands out as truly eye-watering.
Current Miami owner Stephen Ross made his money as a real estate developer, founding Related Companies in 1972. Between 2008 and 2009 he bought a 95% share of the Miami Dolphins for around $1.5 billion, investing a further $500 million to regenerate the team’s stadium.
It’s been a big investment from Ross, but one that appears to be paying off. Although he insists that he has no plans to relinquish control of the team, Ross has revealed details of one staggering offer that he received.
“I don’t think there’s a better asset,” Ross said of NFL ownership, during a conversation with Bloomberg. “I know what I’ve been offered, numbers you wouldn’t believe . . . Close to $15 billion. Pretty high numbers. But you say, ‘Where would you put the money? Then what would I do with it?’”
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross told Bloomberg he has received offers worth close to $15 billion for the NFL team.
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) January 14, 2026
That is nearly 2x more than the team’s most recent valuation (and would be by far the most expensive sports team sale in history). pic.twitter.com/SVYRMPWhtf
That figure - $15 billion - far exceeds any sports team sale in history and would potentially make the Dolphins the most valuable team on the planet, if that valuation was ever realized.
What is the most expensive sports team sale?
As it stands, the biggest sports team sale of all time was Mark Walter’s deal to take control of the Los Angeles Lakers for $10 billion. Last year Walter bought the team from the Buss family in a deal the smashed the record for a professional sports franchise.
The previous record had been set just months earlier, when the Boston Celtics were sold for $6.1 billion. That beat the $6.05 billion figure paid for the Washington Commanders in July 2023.
As these figures suggest, team valuations are on the rise and we could see a new leader overtake the Lakers at the top of the rankings before too long.
As a general rule, NFL teams are the most valuable with an astonishing 11 teams valued at $8 billion or more last year. At the top of the charts are the Dallas Cowboys, who have an estimated value of $12.5 billion. If a big-market NFL team were to be sold in the coming years, we could see that Lakers record beaten.
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