WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The scene at the National Press Club announcing the
Washington Commanders' stadium deal was reminiscent of what the organization once enjoyed at RFK Stadium many years ago: a packed house, lots of cheering and many people dreaming of big wins, including Super Bowls.
It's what the Commanders hope to feel once again in the District of Columbia, now that they've reached an agreement with the city to build a stadium on the site where they enjoyed their greatest success.
The Commanders reached an agreement to build a 65,000-seat stadium at the site where RFK Stadium -- their home from 1961 to 1997 -- still stands. It will be a domed stadium, though owner Josh Harris said they're still deciding whether or not the dome would be retractable. He said he would explore playing on a grass field.
"Without exaggeration," Harris said, "this will be the best stadium in the country when it's built."
The dome was part of a grander vision for Harris and the city: They want to host more than just Commanders games, anticipating dozens of events throughout the year, and that led to one of the grander visions: hosting a Super Bowl.
When asked about how much building a new stadium would boost Washington's chances of hosting the championship game, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, "I didn't come here to announce that, but I would say dramatically."
He later said, "I really do think this community could be a great host for a Super Bowl. The [new] stadium is always the missing piece."
The nearly $4 billion project will include $2.7 billion from the Commanders to build the stadium and $1.147 billion from the district to cover the costs of other aspects. They anticipate retail shops, restaurants, parking garages, a multisport complex and more on the 179-acre property. The stadium would open in 2030.
But, first, the funding must get approval from the D.C. Council.
"This is such a tremendous opportunity for the nation's capital," said at-large member Kenyan R. McDuffie, one of four council members who attended the announcement.
The Commanders' portion is the largest private investment in the district's history.
"We're trying to build the best stadium in the country or even potentially of the world," Harris said, "and we felt that we wanted to give it the maximum chance of succeeding."
For mayor Muriel Bowser, it came down to simple economics. She and others pointed to federal employees losing jobs so the district needed to find ways to boost revenue. "If you need to add revenue as we do, you can't leave 180 acres vacant. If you want to attract business, you have to be about business."
With Harris and Goodell both having grown up in the area and attended games at RFK, there was an air of nostalgia about the potential return.
"Ward 7 is the only ward in the District of Columbia that does not have an anchor," said council member Wendell Felder, who represents Ward 7, where the stadium would sit. "This deal gives Ward 7 an opportunity to change that."
As Goodell made his way to the news conference, he said he recalled what going to games at RFK meant to him.
"In some ways, it's very emotional," he said. "This is a very special day, one that many of us have been looking forward to for many years. ... The Commanders' future is a bright one."
Harris recalled watching big Washington home games on television and how the camera would show shots of the Washington Monument and the White House. Those scenes still resonate with him.
"All of that stuff was incredibly motivating for all of us," he said.
Harris said those experiences provided him with a vision of what he wanted.
"The fact we've grown up here gave us that vision to not look at the crumbling concrete [of RFK] but remember in our minds the vivid nature of what Washington football was all about," Harris said. "It brought a city that was socioeconomically distinct ... together. No matter where you were from, your race, your religion, on Sundays you were Washington football fans."
Harris bought the team from Dan Snyder in July 2023. Since that time, ownership has transformed the organization under general manager Adam Peters, coach Dan Quinn and, with quarterback
Jayden Daniels, has one of the most exciting young players in the league. The next step of that transformation is building a new stadium to replace Northwest in Landover, Maryland, a stadium that has been pilloried for years.
"It's immeasurable in so many ways," Goodell said of the organization's transformation. "This market is critical, and I think to have a franchise that everyone here is proud of that's gotten back on the football field in a positive way and now to have a stadium that brings their team back into D.C., that's a really big step and something that's been great for the NFL."
Washington won three Super Bowls in the 1982-91 span and played in five while calling RFK Stadium home. RFK was a place known for its atmosphere, with passionate fans and one set of stands that would bounce up and down. Harris said they might try to replicate that in the new stadium. Though the NFL hasn't played there since 1996, Harris said the league understands "the power of RFK."
"My vision is to bring this as close to our RFK as we can," Harris said, "RFK was truly an inspirational place."
Though work remains to persuade the D.C. Council to approve the funding -- Harris said he was confident that would happen because "the project will sell itself" -- for now those at the news conference reveled in reaching this critical step. During a meeting at the mayor's office last week, Harris said, Bowser told him, "It's time to go."
Several days later they were discussing the deal in front of several hundred people at the National Press Club.
"We're bringing the stadium back where it should be," said Washington senior adviser Doug Williams, who played for the organization 1986-89, leading the team to a Super Bowl win after the 1987 season. "It's just like going home."
