NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell grew up in Washington, D.C., as a fan of the then-Washington Redskins, attending games at the legendary RFK Stadium.
With new owner Josh Harris looking for the home of Washington’s next stadium, the old RFK site, in addition to sites in Maryland and Virginia, are all vying to be the next home of the Commanders.
Last month, House lawmakers passed a bill to allow D.C. to use the old RFK Stadium site for a potential new home for the Commanders. The passing of that bill is only the first step for a potential return to the District for the NFL franchise as it goes to the Senate next.
However, everyone is optimistic that Washington D.C. and the Commanders can find common ground, including Goodell.
“Well, I’ve talked to the mayor (D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser) several times going back, I think, two years, about allowing D.C. to have the ability to have a long-term lease,” Goodell said Tuesday at the NFL’s Annual League Meeting, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
“As you probably know, I grew up in Washington, D.C. I spent a lot of time at the old RFK Stadium. It’s something that I think (owner) Josh (Harris) and the Commanders want to evaluate. I think the city wants to evaluate (it), and I think the NFL does. So, I see it as a very positive development that we can have another alternative that will allow us to get the kind of stadium in our nation’s capital that is warranted, in my view.”
The Commanders’ chances of landing a new stadium deal increased exponentially when Harris and his ownership group purchased the franchise from Daniel Snyder last year. Under Snyder, Washington had no hope of striking a deal anywhere for a brand-new stadium.
Speaking of Snyder, do you think Goodell was happy not to discuss Washington’s former owner this year at the NFL meetings?