04/28/25 07:23:00
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04/28 07:21 CDT Commanders and Washington agree to a deal to build at RFK
Stadium site
Commanders and Washington agree to a deal to build at RFK Stadium site
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) --- Washington's NFL franchise is set to return to the nation's
capital as part of an agreement between the organization and the District of
Columbia government to build on the site of the old RFK Stadium.
Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday the District of Columbia and the Commanders
reached an agreement to construct a new home for the football team in the city
at the place the franchise called home for more than three decades. The
agreement is pending D.C. City Council approval.
The team and the mayor announced the move in a video posted on social media,
narrated by Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Theismann, who spoke about his
experience playing at RFK Stadium and how the new one will benefit the city.
"The time is now," Theismann said. "Let's bring Washington back to D.C."
Further details on timing and funding are expected later in the day. Bowser and
team officials are scheduled to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. EDT.
Commanders ownership, led by Josh Harris, has been considering places in
Washington, Maryland and Virginia since buying the team from Dan Snyder in
2022. The most recent progress came when congress passed a bill transferring
the RFK Stadium land to D.C. that was signed by former President Joe Biden in
early January, after lobbying on Capitol Hill by Harris and NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell late last year.
Washington has played in Landover, Maryland, since moving there in 1997. The
Commanders' lease at Northwest Stadium in Landover runs through 2027. Harris
has called 2030 a "reasonable target" for a new stadium.
The team played at RFK Stadium, 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) east of the U.S.
Capitol, from 1961-96 before moving to Maryland. Harris and several co-owners,
including Mitch Rales and Mark Ein, grew up as Washington football fans during
that era, which included the glory days of three Super Bowl championships from
1982-91.
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