The Seattle Seahawks are officially on the market, and for a moment, it looked like Silicon Valley's biggest names might be lining up to take over. But if you were hoping to see Mark Zuckerberg pacing the sidelines at Lumen Field, you might want to sit this one down.

The Seahawks, fresh off a Super Bowl victory that solidified their place as one of the NFL's elite franchises, announced plans to sell the team. Naturally, that sparked a wave of speculation about potential buyers—especially from the tech world. Reports last week suggested that Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and Apple's Tim Cook were among at least four potential majority buyers showing interest.

According to Ben Horney of Front Office Sports, "Five sources familiar with the matter tell Front Office Sports they've heard Zuckerberg is considering a bid, while four say Cook is separately weighing an offer." The other two potential bidders remained unnamed, and it was unclear whether any formal offers had been made.

But the rumor mill didn't spin for long. On Monday, a Meta spokesperson shut down the speculation with a firm statement to Bloomberg: "Glad we could intercept the rumors on this one: Mark is not making any investment or bid for the Seattle Seahawks."

That takes one major name off the board, but it still leaves plenty of questions about who will ultimately take the reins. The NFL is a massive revenue generator, and the Seahawks—coming off a championship season—are a particularly attractive asset. Whoever steps in will be expected to keep the team competitive and honor the city's passionate fan base, which just celebrated a Super Bowl win.

For now, the sale remains a developing story, and the list of potential buyers just got a little shorter. One thing's for sure: in the world of sports ownership, the game is far from over.