Commanders strike deal with DC officials to take over old RFK Stadium site
The Washington Commanders reached an agreement to build a new stadium on the site of the old RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., officials said Monday.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the District of Columbia government and Commanders executives reached a deal to return to the site they called home for three decades. The deal is pending D.C. City Council approval.
The Commanders posted a nostalgic video showing the old days of the franchise, formerly known as the Washington Redskins, playing in Washington, D.C. Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Theismann narrated the video.
"The time is now," Theismann said. "Let's bring Washington back to D.C."
The franchise played at RFK Stadium from 1961 to 1996 before they moved to Landover, Maryland, at the faculty now known as Northwest Stadium. Team owner Josh Harris had considered different sites for a new stadium since he bought the team from Daniel Snyder.
Congressional lawmakers supported Harris' pursuit of taking over the old RFK Stadium site on the condition the team and the NFL would honor the old Redskins logo in some way. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said he would support the organization going forward with its plan after "good faith negotiations" with both entities.
"We were calling out leaders in case of really, woke gone wrong. The irony that they were canceling Native American culture as the DEI movement went way too far," Daines said in November. "This is honoring a Blackfeet chief who was born in Montana. He is highly esteemed. The Blackfeet tribe of Montana, their current chairman and tribal council signed a letter in strong support to bring the logo back. It honors Indian Country.
"We have good discussions with the NFL and with the Commanders. There's good faith in negotiations going forward that's going to allow this logo to be used again. Perhaps revenues going to a foundation that could help Native Americans in sports and so forth. We're making good progress and, based on the good faith negotiations, I made a decision to support this bill yesterday in the committee."
Harris said in August that 2030 was a "reasonable target" for a new stadium.
He also expressed hope of a future NFL Draft taking place on the National Mall between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial.
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