In the second year of the Josh Harris ownership regime, the Commanders have seemingly found their franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels and have an excellent chance to qualify for the postseason in Daniels’ rookie year. The club also scored a big win on the stadium front.
In Saturday’s early morning hours, the United States Senate unanimously approved the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act. The legislation, which had already been approved by the House of Representatives, will become law once it is signed by President Joe Biden.
At that point, Washington, D.C. will have control of the 170-acre site upon which RFK Stadium – the longtime home of the Commanders, then known as the Redskins – sits. In turn, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser will have the opportunity to negotiate a stadium deal with the Commanders. Per Sam Fortier of the Washington Post, Bowser has made redevelopment of the area one of her top agenda items, and she wants the return of the Commanders to the nation’s capital to be part of her legacy.
The franchise played its home games at RFK from 1961-1996, during which time it won all five of its conference championships and all three of its Super Bowls. Most of the club’s stay at its current home, Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, overlapped with the generally disastrous ownership tenure of Dan Snyder.
Prior to the enactment of the new legislation, the National Park Service’s lease with D.C., which was due to end in 2038, restricted use of the RFK site. Now, however, the District will have control of the site for 99 years and will be able to develop it in a mixed-used capacity, which includes the construction of a new stadium.
Although the bill itself does not contemplate the use of taxpayer dollars, it is eminently possible that a new stadium will indeed involve public funds, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests. And while Commanders executives have called RFK the “spiritual home” of the team, and while Harris himself has acknowledged the nostalgic desire to have his club return there, any deal that Bowser and the team strike would have to be approved by the D.C. Council, which is split on the issue of whether to use tax money for a stadium.
Meanwhile, Maryland Governor Wes Moore has reiterated his desire to have the Commanders stay where they are, albeit with a new stadium. In theory, Virginia looms as a potential destination, though Fortier notes that the Commonwealth has neither a definite site for a stadium nor a mechanism to obtain public funds for such a project.
Harris has previously noted that D.C. would be the ideal location for the Commanders because it would be the most widely accepted site among the team’s DMV fanbase. In the wake of yesterday’s Senate approval, Harris issued a statement on the matter, which can be found here.
Harris would like for the team to be playing in its new stadium, wherever it might be, by 2030.
Hurry up and get that bill signed before Biden forgets where he put his pen. Just what DC needs to spend money on, a stadium. Never mind that poverty and homelessness are rampant there. Never mind that if it’s in a crappy, run down neighborhood people won’t go. Tropicana Field comes to mind. These idiots voted themselves a 40% pay raise 2 days ago and now they want to fix a old abandoned stadium so they can watch football without having to drive a while. Let Harris build his own stadium if he wants one.
There was never a 40% pay raise; it was 3.8%. I can tell where you get your fake news.
They didn’t include the pay raise two days ago so maybe educate yourself as well before you try to take a political swipe. No one with a brain thought it was 40% regardless, likely a typo
Oh really you just give the person who makes no sense and lies the benefit. Hmm I wonder what is on your tv right now?
I’m not exactly opposed to the raise being they haven’t had a raise since 2009…what’s funny is one of the original bills earlier this week included many (democrats included) to exempt themselves from Obama care. I thought Obama care was the greatest thing ever! (except for policy makers who created it lol)
It must be hard to go through life being as bright as a bottle of water. Might want to tune into something other than Fox News.
You mean Fox Entertainment
No matter what channel you watch, you’re not getting any information.
I think most of us agree with the rest of the post, regardless of the obvious potshots going on both ways here.
When you hear all the ‘Pork’ added in bills that our Congress and their infinite wisdom adds…this is a prime example smh
The bill was approved on its own and not added as a package. Learn to read and understand government.
Perhaps you’re right but the CR package presented on Wednesday had funding for it…”Not using Tax payer dollars but the use of public funding”. Where do you think those public funding will eventually come from? If I had to bet it will end up being tax payers as most stadiums are when they initially claim it won’t be….Fund the govt to keep it open for necessities, we’ve got to stop adding to the national debt with junk. It’s going to catch up to all of us no matter what side of the aisle you’re on.
Like Elon bullying republicans into stripping cancer research funding? Give me a break.
So the democrats agreed to strip Cancer research but fund a new stadium as well?…Biden is signing the Bill not Trump or Musk correct?
These are unrelated, genius. One was a minor unanimous act. The other is republicans holding the federal government hostage before Christmas.
Doesn’t make it not true genius…Democrats hold office not Trump, Republicans and especially not Musk
Republicans have the house majority already, which is what this whole thing has been about. Did you not know that? And you’re the one who brought up the CR package.
And yet you related the two lol
This bill is not only separate but also doesn’t include any funding.
Hopefully the plumbing is better at the new facility than it is at the one they’re at now!
link to youtube.com
Couldn’t sum up Synder’s ‘leadership’ better than that video.
Use of taxpayer funds to build or improve any billionaire sports franchise facilities is a failure of local governmental priorities!
Subsidizing the rich st the expense of ‘common peoples’ is contrary to the benefit tax dollars should be spent. Infrastructure for ‘the people’ that benefit ‘all’, not the few privileged!
The return to RFK will not be complete until this NFL club returns to its true and original name … the Washington Redskins.
A friend of mine came up with the name the Washington Natives. Go back to the original logo and you’re not insulting anyone while incorporating their long history.
But you’re right Chucky, they should be named the Redskins!!
That’s actually a pretty good name and idea!
Actually, the original name was the Boston Braves, but calling themselves “Boston” wouldn’t work too well in DC.