Where in the world is Dan Snyder? Far, far away from the Commanders’ postseason run

The Washington Commanders are headed to the NFC championship game for the first time in a generation, and Dan Snyder — who owned the franchise for 24 mediocre years — is nowhere to be seen.

As far as anyone knows, he’s across the Atlantic Ocean after selling the franchise to Josh Harris for $6.05 billion and ditching the region to establish residency in England.

Meanwhile, in the first full season without him, Snyder’s former team is on a run for the ages, led by electric rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

“I think somehow the football gods may have had something to do with this,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on Sunday. “This is the first full season that Dan Snyder is not involved in Washington, and now they’re looking down at Washington saying, ’Enjoy this trip to the NFC Championship game.’”

Commanders fans weren’t sad to see him go — the list of controversies piled up while success remained elusive, especially in Snyder’s final seasons. 

But for the first time in years, Washington fans have a team worth cheering for. The end of the Snyder era is no longer the happiest day in recent memory for the long-suffering fan base.

When kicker Zane Gonzalez’s game-winning field goal attempt ricocheted off the goal post and through the upright during the wild-card victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Commanders fans were left in disbelief. After Snyder’s disastrous tenure, they weren’t used to things going right.

“If Dan Snyder’s still the owner, there’s no way that ball bounces in,” said Barstool Sports personality Eric Sollenberger, better known as “PFTCommenter.”

For Commanders fans, the memory of the Snyder era fades slightly with each win. Harris has already found a franchise quarterback in his second season as owner and has seen a postseason run, accomplishments that evaded the old regime.

“As you celebrate, do me a favor,” Grant Paulsen of 106.7 “The Fan” asked of Washington fans on X after Saturday’s upset win over the Detroit Lions. “Picture a seething Dan Snyder on his yacht in Europe somewhere.”

Since selling the Commanders, Snyder has become something of a ghost.

He left the Washington area behind, donating his Maryland home to charity and listing his $60 million Virginia home for sale. Snyder and his wife, Tanya, listed England as their current residence in a 2023 business filing.

But the billionaire is notoriously difficult to pin down. The House Oversight Committee struggled to serve him with a subpoena while investigating claims of workplace harassment in 2022 because Snyder was on his yacht, somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea.

Snyder eventually agreed to testify over Zoom.

When the Commanders booked a trip to the NFC championship game on Saturday night, Snyder’s floating castle — complete with an IMAX movie theater and a helipad — was docked in Harlingen, Netherlands.

It has been there for two months.

Snyder isn’t active on social media and hasn’t given a public interview since selling the team. The logs from his private jet and yacht, along with business filings for “Snyder UK Investments Limited,” are the primary paper trails for a man who was once one of the most outspoken owners in the NFL.

Snyder and his wife are the only two listed employees for their England-based investment company.

He hasn’t commented on the work done by general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn to overhaul the roster, catapulting the formerly middling franchise back to national relevance.

Snyder developed a reputation for nosing into personnel decisions, famously overruling coach Jay Gruden to draft quarterback Dwayne Haskins in 2019. Haskins went to high school with Snyder’s son, Gruden later said.

But Washington fans may never know what Snyder thought about the 2024 quarterback class or the breakout rookie season of Daniels, the No. 2 pick in the draft.

Dropping off the radar appeared to be the plan, though.

“During our next chapter, we are looking forward to spending time with family and devoting our energy to the causes that matter very much to us, including furthering our long-standing support of breast cancer research,” the Snyders said in a 2023 statement announcing the sale.

But, if the Snyder family’s farewell message is to be believed, he’ll be watching the Commanders play for a trip to the Super Bowl on Sunday.

“When we purchased the team nearly 25 years ago, Dan was quoted as saying, ’I’m a fan. A huge fan. It’s that simple,’” the Snyders said nearly two years ago. “That is as true today as it was then.”