Commanders in Washington have taken a significant step toward returning to the place of their glory days in the nation’s capital, thanks to a provision added to Tuesday’s spending bill that will be voted on later this week.
This provision would transfer control of the land on which RFK Stadium is located from the federal government to the District of Columbia. The House has already approved that portion of the bill, and the Senate is expected to vote on it later this week. Passing the total spending bill is one of the final measures lawmakers will consider this week before going on vacation and preparing them for the next legislative session.
If the move is approved, it would greatly increase the chances that the managers would return to Washington, D.C. The team played at RFK Stadium from 1961 to 1996 and was known for having unparalleled home-field advantage. Excited fans can also participate in one section of the bounce in the stands.
This location has great sentimental value as it is where Washington played in the Super Bowl from 1982 to 1991, winning three titles. The organization also reached the Super Bowl after the 1972 season.
Commanders owner Josh Harris and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently lobbied lawmakers on Capitol Hill over the provision, known as the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act. It was introduced by Republican Representative James Comer.
“As a city, we have worked for years to take control of the RFK campus,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told The Associated Press. “We are celebrating this moment and looking to the future of the field’s potential on the banks of the Anacostia River.”
Washington has been in talks with local officials about building a stadium for years. Just a year ago, multiple team officials said the chances of RFK returning to the field were less than 30 percent. Although hurdles remain, the odds have increased, perhaps more than doubling, making it a two-venue race, with current home base Landover being another option. Maryland continues to push hard for the commander to remain.
“Our position on stadiums has not changed. We are not afraid of competition,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement. “We remain confident that Landover remains the manager’s best and fastest path to a new stadium.”
Washington has played in Landover since 1997, but the area has never received the same reception as RFK Stadium, in part because the team has won only two playoff games since its opening.
The coaches own land in Maryland and are under contract to play there through the beginning of the 2027 season, which is renewable. Harris has said he hopes to open the new stadium in 2030. Harris said he grew up a fan of the team along with several co-owners in his group and how much RFK Stadium means to him.
“It needs to happen soon,” Bowser told ESPN about the stadium resolution earlier this month. “We are very keen to use the land productively.
“We just need to finalize and implement the transfer with the federal government and come to an agreement with the teams. We don’t have an agreement with the teams yet. What we have in front of Congress is that districts need to be able to take advantage of our funding.” Let’s invest in that National Park Service land and make it really great.”
Even if Congress passes the bill, the D.C. Council would have to approve plans for the site, which would likely include housing and a youth recreation center.
Bowser said Harris’ purchase of the team from Dan Snyder in July 2023 helped city officials.
“There was a lot of opposition to the previous ownership and the direction of the team,” Bowser told ESPN. “I think that’s almost forgotten. The winning mentality is good too.”
If the managers return to D.C., there’s a possibility they’ll build a domed stadium. Bowser said he hopes the facility will be used “most days of the year,” and hopes to attract events such as the Super Bowl, World Cup or even a Taylor Swift concert. .
In a statement, Comer called it “a landmark bill.”
Comer said the provision “will maximize the district’s potential, create meaningful new jobs and add millions of dollars in city revenue to the nation’s capital.”
“Without action from Congress, this land will remain vacant and the ongoing maintenance costs and debt will burden American taxpayers,” Comer said. “Now is the time to get the federal government out of the way and empower local officials to clean up the RFK site, invest in it, and create new economic opportunities.”
