NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has talked up the prospect of the Washington Commanders moving back to the District of Columbia, with team owner Josh Harris insisting that multiple options remain on the table.
The Commanders have played at Northwest Stadium in Maryland since 1997, and prior to that spent 35 years at RFK Stadium in DC. The RFK Stadium site has been earmarked for a potential new stadium or mixed-use development, with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser hoping to lure the Commanders back to the District.
The Commanders have a deal to play at Northwest Stadium until September 2027 and the team is weighing up its options, with Maryland and Virginia vying with DC to become the long-term home of the franchise.
Last month, Events DC announced the start of concerted demolition work at RFK Stadium after Joe Biden, in one of his final acts as US President, passed a bill to transfer the land on which the stadium sits to the District of Columbia, potentially paving the way for the Commanders to return to the venue.
Goodell has now suggested that the NFL’s preference would be for the Commanders to return to DC, stating that a venue on the RFK Stadium site would be a “huge economic driver”.
“I remember that as a kid growing up, the power of that vision and what it means to that community,” Goodell said, according to the Washington Post. “It’s a really powerful thing. So, if it turns out that that is the best alternative, it could be a great thing.”
He added: “It’s important for the team to play in an area that is beneficial for the fans. It’s going to be beneficial for those communities, and it’s going to be beneficial to the team. I’m also a kid who grew up in Washington, DC, going to RFK Stadium, and I remember that experience.
“When I see that stadium site today – I went by it when I was down in Washington in December – and, frankly, it was really disappointing. It made me sad to see that area and how the stadium looks today and how the community looks.”
DC would appear to be the likely destination for the Commanders based on fan surveys, but no final decision has been made.
“We have a lot of dialogue with everyone and we’re going to keep pushing forward,” Harris said, according to the Washington Business Journal. “I kind of keep being transparent of what the surveys say. Obviously, DC is in line with the history (of the team) and happens to be the easiest place to get to for most of the fans.”
Last week, KaTO Architecture, a design studio based in Boston, Virginia, put forward an eye-catching timber-based proposal for a repurposed RFK Stadium. KaTO is not formally contracted with the District of Columbia or the Commanders, but has submitted its proposal to both parties.
In other news, the Herald Sun has reported that the NFL will this week announce plans for regular-season games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The newspaper claims that the first game will take place in October 2026, with the Los Angeles Rams potentially facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The NFL has hosted regular-season games in Brazil and Germany in recent years, alongside its regular fixtures in London. Later this year, the league will play in Madrid for the first time.
