Could Commanders move to RFK stadium? New report reveals Roger Goodell held discussions

The Washington Commanders have been in the headlines as the team is potentially up for sale. Given the uncertainty of whether Dan Snyder will remain the owner of the team, it also places the future of where they'll play as well. Last November, Snyder stated that he was exploring the possibility of selling all or part of the Washington franchise.

A month later, Commissioner Roger Goodell informed D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser that the NFL backed her efforts to get RFK Stadium from the federal government. This is according to two individuals with firsthand knowledge of a between Goodell and Mayor Bowser.

The NFL Commissioner wants the city to have a say in the team's efforts to construct a new stadium. He also provided lobbying aid from the league on Capitol Hill, per the same sources.

Bowser met with then-Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi and the office of Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer after speaking with Goodell. Bowser wanted a clause in the 2023 government spending bill that would move ownership of land on which RFK sits back to D.C.

When Congress disclosed their spending proposal, it did not contain the RFK clause. A spokesperson for the NFL released a statement on the stadium matter and their cooperation with the mayor, the Commanders, and the U.S. Congress.

The statement said:

“The league and Mayor Bowser agree that Washington, D.C., should be at the table when a new site is considered. We will continue to work with the mayor’s office, the Commanders, and Congress to that end — just like we are in contact with local officials in Maryland and Virginia as they review site and stadium options.”

The state of Maryland proposed an offer from last year that is still on the table. It is a $400 million package to clean up the area around FedEx Field and specifically forbids the building of a new stadium. Virginia did not reintroduce the stadium authority bill that didn't pass last summer.

Last month, Virginia state senators signaled opposition to the proposal of Governor Glenn Youngkin to spend $500K in 2024 on investigating ways to entice the NFL franchise to come to the state. RFK Stadium was home to the Washington franchise for 36 seasons until it moved to FedEx Field in 1996.

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How much did Dan Snyder pay for the Washington Commanders franchise?

Snyder bought the franchise in 1999 for $750 million, borrowing $350 million to do so. Currently, the team is worth around $5.6 billion, the sixth-highest value in the NFL, according to Forbes.

Should Snyder choose not to sell the Commanders, it could create competition for the new stadium between D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

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