Charles Woodson Steps Away From Browns Ownership Bid
by Mary Spiller
February 7, 2026
The Hall of Famer says NFL restrictions would have required him to remove his name from wine and whiskey businesses.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson has backed out of a previously announced plan to purchase a minority stake in the Cleveland Browns, citing conflicts between NFL ownership rules and his growing wine and spirits business.
Woodson, a former All-Pro defensive back, told Front Office Sports that he ultimately chose not to proceed with acquiring a 0.1% ownership share in the franchise because league policies would have forced him to separate his name from his wine and whiskey brands.
“I thought I was going to be a proud owner of the Browns but it wasn’t able to happen because I wasn’t able to take my name off of my product,” Woodson said. “It’s what made the product. It’s how I started so I wasn’t able to do that.”
The deal appeared to be well underway last spring, when the Browns announced in May that Woodson had received league approval as a minority investor and praised the perspective he would bring to the ownership group. Based on the team’s estimated valuation at the time—between $4 billion and $6.4 billion—the stake would have been worth roughly $4 million to $6 million.
However, Front Office Sports reported that NFL regulations prohibit team owners from advertising alcohol, a rule that directly conflicted with Woodson’s business ventures, including “Charles Woodson’s Intercept Wines” and “Woodson Whiskey.” Despite the restriction, Woodson’s wine has previously been served at Las Vegas Raiders games, underscoring the unusual tension between league policy and his brand.
In the end, Woodson chose to retain full control of his companies rather than finalize the Browns investment. The team confirmed the split in a brief statement to Front Office Sports, saying, “We respect the decision by Charles and wish him well.”
Although Woodson never played for Cleveland during his NFL career, he is an Ohio native and reportedly built a strong rapport with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam in 2024. Without an ownership role to pursue, Woodson plans to continue his post-playing career as an NFL broadcaster while expanding his footprint in the spirits industry.
Woodson said he and his team are focused on refining the presentation of Intercept Wines, including a refreshed bottle design.
“For the wine, one of the major changes that we’ve made is the packaging and look of our bottles,” he explained. “We wanted to make it more uniform and appealing to the eye… a little bit more eye-popping.”
An NFL spokesperson previously clarified the policy to Front Office Sports, stating, “The league’s policy prohibits any owner, regardless of the amount of ownership, to use his or her name, image, and likeness for promotional purposes.”
For Woodson, a Heisman Trophy winner, Super Bowl champion, and Hall of Famer, the decision came down to protecting the identity he built beyond football—even if it meant walking away from an NFL ownership opportunity.
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