Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank issued the following statement in remembrance of former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 86.

“Jerry Richardson brought the NFL to the Carolinas in 1995 and helped build a strong passion for the NFL within that region. A passion that we see firsthand twice a year when we face the Panthers as one of our divisional opponents. I always enjoyed competing with him on the field during his time as an owner and respected the business acumen that led him to become the first NFL player to own a team since George Halas. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Richardson family and the entire Panthers organization.”

Richardson, a Spring Hope, N.C. native, played a critical role in the Carolinas being awarded the NFL's 29th franchise on October 26th, 1993. The Panthers' inaugural season came two years later, and they made the playoffs in 1996, falling to Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game.

Richardson sold the franchise in spring 2018 following a Sports Illustrated report that revealed at least four former Carolina employees signed settlement agreements after being subjected to sexually suggestive and racist behavior from him in the workplace.

During Friday “Jeans Day” at the Panthers office, for instance, Richardson reportedly asked female employees to turn around, making inappropriate comments like, “Show me how you wiggle to get those jeans up.” His massive food service company, Flagstar, was also the subject of multiple racial bias lawsuits brought by the Justice Department in the mid-1990s, ultimately paying $54 million to settle claims filed by thousands of Black customers.

When Richardson sold the Panthers to David Tepper in May 2018, the $2.2 billion price tag was the largest in league history.

Jerry Richardson is survived by his wife, Rosalind, and adult children Mark and Ashley.