SEATTLE — The Paul Allen estate has announced the formal sale process of the Seattle Seahawks.

The sale process is expected to continue through the 2026 off-season.

NFL owners must then ratify a final purchase agreement.

PHOTOS | Seahawks players and fans fill Seattle streets for Super Bowl Victory Parade

An ESPN report on Jan. 30, cited sources, saying the team would go up for sale after the Super Bowl, and the Seahawks could set a record for an NFL team price: $7 to $8 billion.

KOMO News Senior Reporter Chris Daniels was given a statement from Paul Allen’s estate in response to the ESPN report, disputing its claim. The full statement can be read below:

We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale. We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but there is no news to share. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.

Shortly after, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed speculation about the future ownership of the team during a wide-ranging press conference that touched on various league issues, including franchise ownership and recent media reports.

Goodell was asked about a Wall Street Journal report that said Seahawks chair Jody Allen could be pressured by the NFL to sell the team following the Super Bowl.

The report also claimed the league had fined the Seahawks $5 million for failing to comply with league protocols related to ownership disclosures.

RELATED | Roger Goodell addresses Seahawks’ future amid sale speculation, denies $5M fine

Goodell disputed the report, saying no fine had been issued.

The Seahawks’ presence in Seattle has not always been guaranteed. In 1996, then-owner Ken Behring announced plans to move the team to Southern California, temporarily shutting down the team’s Kirkland headquarters and shipping equipment south. The move collapsed after it was discovered the Seahawks’ lease at the Kingdome ran through 2005, and the NFL threatened to fine Behring $500,000 per day unless the team returned.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen purchased the franchise the following year, a move widely credited with keeping the team in Seattle. The purchase was made after a public-private partnership was crafted and approved by Washington voters to build a new stadium, which is now Lumen Field.

Allen died in 2018 following a years-long battle with cancer. After his death, his younger sister Jody Allen took over as executor of the Paul G. Allen Estate and its two teams — the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers.

King County Executive Girmay Zahilay issued a statement after news of the sale.

I am thankful to Jody and Paul Allen for being excellent stewards of the team over the last 29 years, leading it to four Super Bowl appearances and two championships. As shown by the hundreds of thousands of fans who packed the streets of downtown Seattle for the victory parade last week, the Seahawks are King County’s team, and I trust that whoever buys the team will commit to keeping them in Seattle and playing at Lumen Field.

A plan was always in place from her late brother to eventually sell both teams and donate the proceeds to charity.