CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Questions continue to surround the Carolina Panthers after owner Jerry Richardson announced he is selling the team.
Fans around the NFL have begun to wonder if the new Panthers owner will move the team out of the Carolinas.
According to NFL rules, three-fourths of NFL owners need to vote in favor of relocation in order to get a team to move. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said he can't imagine seeing the Panthers leave town.
"I cannot imagine any owner who would not want to see the Carolina Panthers stay in the Carolinas," Blank said.
"Charlotte is a great city," he added.
Blank also said the Panthers are a "great franchise," that have remained competitive in the NFC South.
"Been to the Super Bowl, played competitively in our division," Blank said. "I'd be shocked... that's one of the great assets.
Earlier in the week, Roger Goodell said he hopes the Panthers will stay in the Carolinas.
"I think all of us and the owners believe that Carolina is a great market," Goodell said. "It’s a market we would like to stay in. We hope that the franchise owner that’s eventually selected will have that view."
Two teams have relocated to different cities since the conclusion of the 2015 NFL season. The Rams moved to Los Angeles from St. Louis in 2016 and the San Diego Chargers also moved to Los Angeles the following season. The Oakland Raiders are expected to move to Las Vegas in either 2019 or 2020.
