Chalk up another big win for the Washington Commanders, who have come a mighty long way in a very short time since what’s-his-name buried the dignity of that used-to-be-called franchise so deep into the mud.
Last week, the Commanders and native son owner Josh Harris announced a deal to bring the franchise home from the Maryland suburbs in 2030, pending D.C. City Council approval, with a $3.7 billion stadium project on the hallowed grounds of RFK Stadium.
On Monday came official word that the NFL draft, hosted by the Commanders, is coming in 2027 to the National Mall. Lights. Cameras. Monuments. And Mel Kiper, Jr.
Let the Congressional Record show: No way this gets done with Dan Snyder.
Yet here’s what was always possible, once the NFL was able to separate itself from the widely reviled Snyder in 2023 for the record sale tag of $6.05 billion: The NFL again has a signature franchise in the nation’s capital. Long-suffering fans wearing “Hog” noses and memories of the “Fun Bunch” are back on the bandwagon, ushering in a new generation. Politicos on Capitol Hill, even in these perilous times, might have reason again to come across the aisle for the sake of football?
Snyder swung and missed in seeking stadium deals in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. It has taken less than two years for Harris & Co. to strike the stadium deal and deliver the draft the NFL has long envisioned for D.C. Apparently, entities that couldn’t or wouldn’t do business with the franchise when it was owned by Snyder, are now more willing and able.
“They’ve brought honor back to the franchise,” sports consultant Marc Ganis told USA TODAY Sports, as news of the draft announcement spread. “That’s what changed the entire political landscape. It’s the perception of the franchise. It was always vitally important to the community, but no one wanted to go near it, politically, especially, for many years.”
And shoot, the Commanders product on the field has blown up, too, with rookie-of-the-year Jayden Daniels leading the way to the NFC title game in January.
What significant markers for the comeback of one of the league’s oldest franchises.
Take it from President Donald Trump. The red-hot Commanders are …
Wait a minute. Take it from who?
That it was Trump who made the announcement about the draft at the White House, with Harris, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington mayor Muriel Bowser in the wings, was quite the play on political football. The draft, Trump trumpeted, is “a big thing.”
And, like I’d suspect for many D.C. residents (hey, now that Canada isn’t in the mix, anyone for being the 51st state?), Trump is bullish on the idea of the 65,000-seat domed stadium.
“I don’t think there’s a better site than anywhere in the world than that site,” Trump declared. (Please, given the pending process, just don’t try to make it an executive order).
Be not deceived by the optics. While it is undoubtedly beneficial to have the president supporting the NFL’s biggest offseason tentpole event, the D.C. draft has been in the league’s vision for years. He does not get credit for this. Trump hopped on a train that was already moving toward the end zone without his involvement.
Then again, it’s hardly surprising that Trump, who in February became the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, seized on a prime opportunity. A week earlier, Trump, after golfing with Saquon Barkley, hosted the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles for a ceremony – even though Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts and more than a dozen players didn’t show up – and now he’s on the clock for the draft.
This, after spending time in recent days with Nick Saban as speculation persists that he will take aim at the NIL impact on college sports.
Yet big announcements like we saw on Monday, or a week ago Monday (when Trump lobbied to keep the “tush push” while feting the champs) also provide some cover of distraction for matters that I’d suspect matter more to many Americans.
You know. The economy, tariffs and the threat of a recession. Democracy. Respect for the Constitution and judicial system. Political targeting. Due process for deportations. And so on.
When the Q&A part of the NFL event got underway, football took a back seat to questions about illegal immigration, Alcatraz, a potential trade deal with China…and so on.
Watching from home, I flashed back to the Trump from his first administration, when he viciously attacked the NFL – and particularly its players – as the national anthem protests inspired by Colin Kaepernick over the killings of unarmed minorities by police gained momentum as part of a larger cultural movement.
What’s the reaction – from Trump and the NFL – if there are more protests ahead?
Already, Trump has made it clear what he thinks of one of the NFL’s core social principles – diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) – while attacking it on a broad, systematic scale. The NFL, to its credit, has held firm with its DEI commitment, against the grain of so many companies rolling back what they once said they stood for.
The NFL still has the Rooney Rule, an Accelerator Program and will collaborate with the Black College Football Hall of Fame next month for the Ozzie Newsome General Manager Forum and a Quarterback Coaching Summit.
Then again, the politics flowed both ways as Goodell – who often defends the NFL’s DEI efforts with vigor – showered Trump with gratitude for his support on the stadium deal.
“Great to come back home,” said Goodell, who, like Harris, grew up in the District. His late father, Charles, represented New York as a U.S. Senator and Congressman, and left a legacy for his moral standing as a prominent anti-Vietnam War advocate.
Yet Goodell was clearly on a political business mission at the White House. It seemed a bit odd, at first, that he thanked Trump for the North American trade agreement struck during the President’s first term. Then when Trump replied that the money earned by the NFL was well-deserved – the pact allowed local TV ads to be shown in Canada during the Super Bowl, increasing the value of the league’s Canadian broadcasting rights – the politics were crystal clear.
Harris knows. A pivotal factor for progressing on the stadium deal came in December, when Congress – despite apparent resistance from Maryland lawmakers, with the team currently playing in their state – transferred jurisdiction of the RFK Stadium site from the federal government to the District of Columbia.
Ganis doubts this happens without the ownership change. Snyder was that toxic.
“Nobody ever touches it,” Ganis said. “He doesn’t get the legislation for the conveyance of the property; the deal with the city doesn’t happen. Roger, as hard as he’s worked on this for years, and as much influence as he had, could not get anything through.”
It’s a new day now, like a dream for D.C.’s football faithful. It’s no wonder that Harris took a moment at the White House to reflect on that theme.
“I grew up here,” he said. “D.C. used to stop on Sundays. Everyone would be inside, watching football; (or)…glued at the stadium. So, we want to bring that back.”
That vision for the Commanders’ chief is fueled these days by so much momentum.
Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell
