Cardinals rank No. 30 in Forbes’ most valuable NFL franchises for 2022

Forbes released its evaluation of how much each NFL franchise is worth on Monday and saw the Arizona Cardinals place No. 30 with a worth of $3.27 billion and $112 million in operating income, a 23% increase from last season.

Arizona ranked No. 27 in 2021 at $2.65 billion with $16.2 million in operating income.

Forbes cites the sale of the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion as a major “game-changer” for the NFL as the new buyer, Walmart heir Rob Walton, paid a 24% premium and paved the way for value compared to what Forbes had a year ago, according to the website.

The method the company used to determine operating income is taking each team’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, as 2022 saw a significant jump in operating income and cash evaluations as COVID-19 restrictions have been milder.

The company said the average NFL team is now worth $4.47 billion in 2022, a 28% uptick since last season.

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys top the list with an evaluation of $8 billion, $1.6 billion higher than the second-place New England Patriots at $6.4 billion. NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams placed third on the list at $6.2 billion.

The Detroit Lions ($3.05 billion) and Cincinnati Bengals ($3 billion) are the only two teams valued less than the Cardinals.

The Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns all increased in value by over 40% from 2021.

Forbes lists the Bears as the next potential landing spot for a new owner looking to buy a team, citing the third-largest market in the U.S as well as the team’s desire to build a new stadium or upgrade their current one.