Lions worth less than $3b, tied for second-lowest in NFL

The Lions are among the dregs of the NFL when it comes to franchise value.

Driving the news: At $2.9 billion, the Lions tied the Jacksonville Jaguars as the league's second-lowest valued franchise, according to Sportico's annual list.

• The Bengals came in last at $2.8 billion.

The big picture: The average NFL team is worth $4.1 billion, up 18% from last year, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.

• The Cowboys ($7.64 billion) are yet again the world’s most valuable sports franchise.

💭 Joe's thought bubble: As a recovering Lions fan — I renounced the team during the Matt Millen era — this ranking doesn't offend me whatsoever. But $2.9 billion does seem low.

• NFL ownership is an ultra-exclusive club and some billionaire would form an ownership group to pay more than $3 billion to join if the Ford family ever put the team up for sale.