Despite having a bye week, last weekend was a noisy one for the Commanders. On the Thursday leading into the Week 14 slate of NFL games, the Congressional House Oversight Committee released its latest findings into the “toxic work environment” in Washington. 
The findings were not only damaging to owner Dan Synder and the team but also implicated the NFL. In summation, the findings confirmed that several employees were victims of a toxic work culture for over two decades. The Committee indicated that Synder “permitted and participated” in the troubling conduct. The most damning part of the report found that Synder and other leadership in the organization perpetuated the toxic culture by ignoring and downplaying sexual misconduct throughout the team’s staff.
Further findings detailed how Snyder interfered with an investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson. Synder reportedly launched a “shadow investigation” into potential sources to The Washington Post, attempted to silence employees who may implicate him for his misconduct, and tried to obstruct Wilkinson’s access to information. In addition to his intimidation of witnesses and the blocking of document production, Synder failed to appear at a public hearing.
For the league’s part, the Committee found that the NFL knew of the serious interference with Wilkinson’s investigation and did nothing to stop it. The league also reportedly misled the public about its own handling of the Wilkinson investigation while continuing to turn a blind eye and minimize workplace misconduct among other teams across the league, as well.
It appears that much of the focus of the investigation was on detailing just how involved Snyder was in the oversight of the organization. Snyder’s argument was that his hands were clean after he fired former team president Bruce Allen. The reported findings, though, seem to indicate that Snyder was fairly knowledgeable of and complicit in the team’s toxic culture.
Regarding potential action against Snyder by the league, Colts owner Jim Irsay has been perhaps the most vocal of the league’s group of team owners. While Irsay has recognized that there is merit to removing Snyder, he reportedly is not ready to vote Snyder out, according to Schuyler Dixon of AP News. Irsay noted the gravity of the action, questioning if that severity of discipline has ever been practiced in the league’s history before. Before calling for a vote, Irsay urged that he would like to hear out his fellow owners’ opinions, including those of Snyder. It’s not quite clear what has been left unsaid at this point by Snyder, the league, and the Committee, so Irsay’s comments ring as procrastinating, if not insincere. With the sale of the franchise likely on the horizon, it’s far simpler for Irsay and company to wait for Snyder to leave of his own accord, rather than forcing him out with direct action.
In looking at the sale, it’s appearing more and more likely that Snyder will sell his full ownership in the franchise, as opposed to just a minority stake. Some with knowledge of these types of transactions have noted that Snyder will likely have “difficulty finding an investor willing to pay $1BB to $2BB to be his junior business partner,” according to Mark Maske, Liz Clarke, and Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. While NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated at a press conference that he doesn’t “have any expectations” concerning the sale, Irsay essentially confirmed his sentiment towards conservative action, claiming that, “If the team hypothetically…were sold 100 percent, that would resolve things.”
Whether legal discipline will eventually find Snyder is still up in the air. What is becoming more and more clear, though, is that Snyder’s days in the NFL are numbered. He is likely to sell his ownership in the franchise in the coming months. If he balks and refuses to give up the reins, perhaps Irsay and the league will take more urgency in dealing with the problem of Snyder’s persistent presence.
