NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell grew up in Washington, D.C., as a fan of the Washington Redskins, attending games at the legendary RFK Stadium.
Since taking over the franchise, new owner Josh Harris has been looking for the home of his team’s next stadium. The old RFK Stadium site, in addition to sites in Maryland and Virginia, is in the running.
Last month, House lawmakers passed a bill to allow D.C. to use the 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; the bill goes to the Senate next.
However, everyone is optimistic that Washington and the Commanders can find common ground, including Goodell.
“Well, I’ve talked to (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 owners meetings in Orlando, Florida, 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 Josh 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 new stadium.
Speaking of Snyder, do you think Goodell was happy not to discuss Washington’s former owner this year at the NFL meetings?