Commanders owner lauds Congress for approving RFK Stadium renovation bill for $6,300,000,000 franchise: Report
After a year of intense lobbying, the Washington Commanders have moved one step closer to realizing their aspirations for a future in Washington, D.C. On Saturday morning, the U.S. Senate passed a critical land transfer bill, which cleared the way for the federal government to hand over the site of the aging RFK Stadium to the District of Columbia.
As the bill moves toward President Joe Biden's desk for final approval, there is a possibility that the Commanders, who currently play in Maryland, could eventually return to the nation’s capital.
Per the voice vote at 1:15 a.m., the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act grants the local government to take control of the 190-acre plot for the next 99 years and transform the aging arena into a space that could host a new NFL Stadium.
Expressing gratitude over the bipartisan support behind the bill, Washington Commanders' controlling owner Josh Harris said:
"Our elected officials have come together on a bipartisan basis to give Washington, D.C., the opportunity to decide on the future of the RFK Stadium site.
"This bill will create an equal playing field so that all potential future locations for the home of the Washington Commanders can be fairly considered and give our franchise the opportunity to provide the best experience for all of our fans."
That said, the Commanders, whose net worth is estimated at $6.3 billion, according to Forbes, are still exploring options in Maryland and Virginia for their future home. Their lease at FedExField in Maryland is set to run through 2027.
Senator James Comer, who championed the bill, called the Senate's approval a "historic moment" for the capital.
Washington Commanders' history is tied to RFK Stadium
The team, formerly known as the "Washington Redskins” from 1933 to 2020, called RFK Stadium their home for 36 seasons (1961-1996). Starting with the team’s first game in 1961 (a 24-21 loss to the New York Giants) to their final win on Dec. 22, 1996, when they won 37-10 over the Dallas Cowboys, RFK witnessed it all.
In total, the "Redskins" played 266 regular-season games at RFK, and compiled a 173-102-3 record, including an 11-1 mark in the playoffs. Moreover, the team won five NFC Championship games and three Super Bowl titles -- XVII, XXII and XXVI, at the stadium.
But as the years passed, the stadium’s aging infrastructure became a liability. Now that discussions about reviving the stadium site are making headlines, there’s a sense of nostalgia for those glory days.