Sportico ranks Cardinals No. 28 on list of most valuable NFL teams

Sportico released its 2022 NFL franchise valuations last week, and the average fair-market value rose 18% year-over-year to $4.14 billion.

Sixteen of 32 teams eclipsed $4 billion, and the Arizona Cardinals ranked No. 28 at $3.165 billion. That is an 18% increase from last year, although they were ranked No. 27 in 2021.

The Cardinals had a valuation of $2.69 billion in 2021 and $2.2 billion in 2020.

Arizona is valued ahead of the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals this year.

Sportico’s valuations were determined by interviews with 30 bankers, lawyers, team executives, owners and consultants, as well as public financial documents.

The Cardinals placed No. 30 in revenue last season at $472 million, ahead of the Bengals and the Lions. They earned $353 million in 2020.

The Dallas Cowboys had the highest valuation in North American sports at $7.64 billion.

The most recent team to be purchased was the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion this offseason. That placed them No. 10 and blew away other NFL franchise sales. The most recent purchase before Denver was the Carolina Panthers in 2018 for $2.28 billion.

Charles Bidwill bought the then-Chicago Cardinals in 1932 for $500,000, and the franchise has stayed in the family since.

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