Billionaire Donald Trump says he is "very, very unlikely" to become the next owner of the Buffalo Bills.
"We'll see what happens. Everyone knows I'm bidding," he said in an interview Monday with Fox News. "But many other people will be bidding. I would say the chances are very, very unlikely because I'm not going to do something totally stupid -- maybe a little bit stupid, but not totally stupid."
Trump was one of the first potential bidders to emerge this spring, after he said in a radio interview that he would keep the Bills in Western New York if he eventually purchased the team, which is being sold following the death of Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson.
The real-estate mogul is among several notable potential bidders for the franchise. It's a group that also includes rock star Jon Bon Jovi, current Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula and former Sabres owner Tom Golisano.
Prospective bidders must submit to Morgan Stanley by Tuesday a "first letter of indication," which includes their initial and non-binding bid to purchase the team, a person familiar with the sale process told The Associated Press. The person said the firm will review the bids and determine which prospective groups will be eligible to proceed to the next stage of bidding.
The groups allowed to move forward are expected to be identified by the end of this week, the person said. Those groups will then be granted further access to the Bills' financial data, in order for them to better determine their bids.
It's possible a prospective owner could be identified as early as late August and presented to NFL owners for approval during league meetings in early October.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.