Owner Josh Harris says Commanders name here to stay

ASHBURN — The late adopters in the Washington football fan base will need to adapt: Team owner Josh Harris said Monday the Commanders’ name is here to stay.

The still-relatively new nickname has slowly earned a begrudging level of acceptance from fans since being introduced by former owner Dan Snyder in 2022. The identity is gaining more momentum inside the team’s Ashburn headquarters. 

That mirrors the groundswell of support for the team generated during an unexpected NFC championship game run. Harris noted that his fondest memories of the season were the grown men and women he saw crying tears of joy after a Commanders win.

“In this building, the name ‘Commanders’ means something,” Harris told reporters. “It’s about players who love football, are mentally tough, hit hard and are great teammates. It’s really meaningful that the name is growing in meaning.”

A potential jersey change, one that would mirror the classic uniforms of yesteryear, could be in the works, according to multiple reports. But Harris didn’t directly address any changes in his team’s fashion, though he plans to embrace the team’s history.”As far as rebranding, [it’s] bringing our past — which obviously I grew up with and all the Super Bowls — and our future together,” he said. “ “You’re going to see us head back toward honoring our past and bringing together our future.”

Harris’ full-throated support for the Commanders’ name — despite constant calls from a loud portion of fans to return to the old nickname and logo — marked the biggest takeaway on Monday. But the team’s continued hunt for a new stadium continues to churn forward.

The Commanders don’t know where their next home will be, but Harris stuck with his preseason plan to open a new stadium in 2030. Everything else about the process, including what jurisdiction would host the project and what the stadium will look like, is up in the air.

“D.C. and Maryland are deciding what they want, and then we’re going to react to that,” Harris said. “All I can tell you is that we’re really hard at work right now trying to move the process forward with everyone.”

Stadium talks have accelerated since Congress passed legislation that leased the RFK Stadium site to the District in December. City officials started the next phase of demolition this month, preparing to strip the interior and exterior pillars of the rusting arena.

The federal lease would allow the city to build a new stadium, though the city council would have to sign off.

For now, Harris and the Commanders are keeping their options open. A return to the District, where the team played its home games for 60 years, is widely favored by nostalgic fans who remember the Super Bowl runs of the 1980s and 1990s.

“[The Washington, D.C. region] is three jurisdictions, and it turns out D.C. is in the middle,” Harris said. “That doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of support in Maryland, a lot of support in Virginia; there is. But, obviously, D.C. is aligned with the history and the easiest place to get to for fans.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell seems to agree.

Goodell, speaking at his annual pre-Super Bowl news conference in New Orleans, said it could be “a huge economic driver” for the area.

“I think it can be great for our nation,” Goodell said. “I remember that as a kid growing up, the power of that. If that’s the best alternative, I think it would be a great thing.”

Harris’ vision for his team’s new home is flexible. He noted that he doesn’t have a preference between a publicly owned site or one he financed himself; he’ll develop those specifics as time progresses.

The Commanders have not said when they would commit to a new home. 

Maryland officials, led by Gov. Wes Moore, have already prepared an offer to keep the team in the Old Line State. They say the current stadium site and unified support from lawmakers would make the construction process much easier. 

“We can still win,” Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Democrat from Maryland, said in December. “Our site offers two nearby Metro stations, superior highway access, and a larger campus for parking.”

Mayor Muriel Bowser has long advocated for the Commanders to return to the District, but the city’s government would have to start the process of approving and building a new stadium from scratch. That operation would include satisfying residents who have concerns about traffic and construction and politicians who’d rather invest in other projects.

“If D.C. residents are asking if I think I should be spending hundreds of millions of their dollars on an NFL stadium that doesn’t have a return on investment, I don’t think that’s a good deal for D.C.,” Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen said on the “Grant and Danny Show” in December.

Harris said he plans to let the politics sort itself out as he works with both jurisdictions. Crafting a home-field advantage, a stadium that opposing teams dread visiting and the home team adores, is the top priority for the new stadium.

“But I also think that we have a responsibility. When a city takes land and utilizes it for a stadium, they’re taking it away from other things they could do,” Harris said. “So, it’s our responsibility to make it an amazing economic development opportunity.” 

Harris’ offseason focus is centered on the off-field priorities: building a new stadium and refurbishing the team’s practice facility. General manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn will be responsible for reloading the roster with $78 million in cap space and seven picks in April’s NFL draft.

After a surprise run in 2024, the Commanders will face the highest expectations in more than 30 years when they return to the field next fall.

“We got it,” Harris said. “We’ve arrived.”