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It wasn’t that long ago under the direction of then-owner Daniel Snyder that the Washington Commanders were a complete disaster. The team was terrible, FedEx Field was dilapidated, and the PR around the team after multiple scandals was at a league-low.
But, so much has changed for the franchise in such a short amount of time. A new ownership group led by Josh Harris bought the team, they have a franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels, and are now set to finally get a new stadium at the site of RFK Stadium, which was their home for over three decades from the 1960s to the 1990s.
The team currently plays at Northwest Field, which was FedEx field from 1999 to 2024 before the shipping giant relinquished the team name after last season and Northwest Federal Credit Union stepped in. Once the largest stadium in the NFL, it’s aged quickly, having only opened in 1997. Raw sewage has leaked on fans in the stadium before, and overall it’s just considered to be arguably the biggest dump amongst NFL stadium.
Talks about building a stadium in actual Washington D.C., in Maryland, and even in Virginia have all taken place over the past few years. But, the team is finally ready to announce a stadium deal. Here’s ESPN with more.
The Commanders are going home. The organization agreed to a deal with the District of Columbia to build a stadium at the site where the team had its greatest success, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Washington struck a deal to play where RFK Stadium — the team’s home from 1961 to 1996 — still stands. An announcement is expected Monday morning.
Terms of the deal have not been announced, though multiple outlets reported earlier this month that the cost would exceed $3 billion.
Commanders owner Josh Harris has said he would like to open a new stadium in 2030. Washington has a contract with Maryland to play at Northwest Stadium until early in the 2027 season but can continue playing there until a new stadium is built.
RFK Stadium hosted the Commanders from 1961-1996, and the team won three Super Bowls as a tenant there. For many Commanders fans, the place is really a spiritual home of sorts. Now, in the near future, they will get to go to games right on that site once again.