Will Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder’s investigation drive away Russell Wilson and other star QBs from franchise?
The Washington Commanders have been seeking a new franchise quarterback for about a decade. Robert Griffin III was brought in to be that guy in 2012 and had a fantastic rookie season before injuries pushed him out of town.
Kirk Cousins then took over, but the team could never commit and he ended up getting a new job with the Minnesota Vikings. Dwayne Haskins was a bust first-round pick. The team now enters 2022 seeking answers.
That puts the Commanders in the running to go after one of the handful of veteran NFL quarterbacks potentially available via trade this offseason. Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, and Deshaun Watson are the biggest names available, and all three can dictate where they will be traded.
Russell Wilson is (+2500) to join the Washington Commanders
(@DKSportsbook) https://t.co/zv9W9maV2T
That puts Washington in a tough spot. This is not because of anything about the roster or head coach Ron Rivera. Instead, it is all centered around owner Dan Snyder and the constant investigations into him and his organization.
Dan Snyder may sway top talent away from the Commanders
2022 is expected to be a year of transition for the franchise now that it has yet another new name. Yet, ownership has not changed, and that means all the negative attention Snyder has brought to the franchise is not going anywhere.
To recap, there is an ongoing investigation into workplace harassment and misconduct within the Washington organization. Snyder himself was accused of sexually harassing the organization's employees.
That is not going to stop players from signing with the team in general. But any trade involving a top-tier quarterback means they would show up in Washington and be the face of the franchise. Do they want to immediately show up and have to answer questions about the team's owner?
The answer seems to be "no". Someone like Wilson, in particular, who is very open about his faith, probably doesn't want to get his money from Snyder.
The situation would be different if the Commanders were the only team seeking quarterback help. But if the options also include the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, and Pittsburgh Steelers, to name a few, there is no need to take on the burden of answering for Snyder's actions.
Teams that have no shot of making the Super Bowl in 2022:
Bears, Buccaneers, Commanders, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, Jaguars, Jets, Lions, Panthers, Raiders, Saints, Steelers, Texans, Vikings
***unless they trade for Aaron Rodgers/Russell Wilson or sign Deshaun Watson***
This is the problem with NFL owners. They cannot be fired, although they can be voted out by their counterparts. But if that vote never takes place, Snyder can continue to run the team any way he sees fit. He is still making a fortune even if the team is not winning or can't lure in star players.
Coach Rivera has built up a nice foundation with the team. Unfortunately, the man signing the paychecks may be the one preventing the team from reaching great heights, unless they get lucky in the draft.