For nearly a quarter-century, Dan Snyder was the owner of the once-storied Washington NFL franchise. However, his tenure was embroiled in multiple controversies and losing seasons. Fortunately, with Josh Harris as the new Commanders owner, the franchise looks to be headed back towards the glory days of the 80s and early 90s. On Monday, Harris gave an end-of-season press conference about his plans going forward.
Commanders Owner Josh Harris Has a Plan, Unlike Dan Snyder
Keeping the Current Name
Despite complaints about the current team name, “Commanders,” Harris said that the name will stay that way. “In this house, Commanders means something,” said Harris. “It’s about players who love football, are great at football and hit hard. That name is growing in meaning.” Harris also mentioned how the name is being embraced by the players, coaches, and culture. After having their best season in 33 years, it would make sense for the franchise to keep the “Commanders” name if it brings them good luck. It may not have been the choice when Harris was here, but he seems perfectly fine with it for now. On top of that, Harris is also focused on honoring the past while fusing with the future.
Meanwhile, Snyder had promised for years that he would keep the original name, despite its controversy as a racial slur to Native Americans. However, that all changed in the summer of 2020 when a wave of racial change caused multiple sponsors to cut ties unless the name was changed. In response, Snyder and company renamed the franchise, “Washington Football Team” for two years, and then “Commanders.” At the same time, the team was losing under Snyder’s tenure, so it didn’t matter.
New Stadium Relocation
Many people are speculating that the Commanders will move from Landover, Maryland back to the old RFK Stadium site in D.C. However, Harris said nothing has been decided yet. The owner said that their “lobbying” of key politicians, such as Maryland governor Wes Moore was designed “to get D.C. to the table. Now D.C. has to decide what it wants to do.” Harris stated that Moore was “incredible” during the process. The owner also said that they’re sticking with the 2030 timeline for a new stadium.
Meanwhile, Snyder had multiple locations in mind for moving the team, including Prince William County, Virginia. Snyder considered three sites: two in Prince William County and one in Loudoun County. The Loudoun County site was an old rock quarry in Sterling. Obviously this plan never came to fruition. The former owner also planned on renovating RFK Stadium, but Harris is already ahead of Snyder on that plan.
Picking the Right Leadership
Since taking over the Commanders, Harris was tasked with finding the right leadership to turn them around. “I think I made the right leadership choices,” said Harris. “My most important three jobs were picking a coach, picking a GM, and picking someone to lead the business.” Harris also said that he’s proud of the “reawakening” of Washington football. Obviously it’s worked out well so far with new general manager Adam Peters, who hired Dan Quinn as head coach and selected quarterback Jayden Daniels in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Meanwhile, Snyder thought he found the right leadership during his tenure, but it didn’t work out for him. In his 23 years as Washington owner, Snyder had Vinny Cerrato and Bruce Allen as general managers, but both were abysmal. He also had multiple head coaches, including Norv Turner, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier, Joe Gibbs, Jim Zorn, Mike Shanahan, Jay Gruden, and Ron Rivera. The team had multiple losing seasons and only won two playoff games.
Main Image: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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