Wright says Commanders can still be in a new stadium by 2027 originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
As the Washington Commanders get set to begin their first full season at FedEx Field playing under a new name, where the team will be playing games during the 2027 season remains a key storyline for the franchise moving forward.
The team is contractually obligated to play at FedEx Field in Landover MD until after the 2026 NFL season concludes and has used the past year to explore options for a new stadium, perhaps in a different state. While the search is still in progress, team president Jason Wright said on Saturday that he believes Washington will hit the timeline it has established internally.
“I think we’ll still be able to hit our timeline,” Wright said before the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. “It’s gonna take hard work. We definitely have to be at a full-sprint pace, but we’ll get there.”
Wright did not comment specifically on what the team’s timeline is, but stated he feels the organization is closer to finding a location for a new stadium than it was at this time last summer.
Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia stand as the three potential landing spots for the Commanders’ new stadium. Maryland lawmakers have agreed to a $400 million subsidy for developing the neighborhoods around the FedEx Field site, but that does not provide any money to the team to build a new home.
The District would present a chance to return to the site where the team experienced its most successful stretch from 1961-96, playing at RFK Stadium. However, working with the federal government to find a stadium site remains a hurdle.
RFK Stadium sits on federally-leased land and is set for demolition in 2023. The city would have to buy the land from the Department of Interior first with Congressional approval and then the D.C. City Council would have to craft a stadium deal. That remains a longshot.
Virginia’s General Assembly had negotiated legislation intended to lure the Commanders and their plans for a new stadium to their state. Washington also procured 200 acres of land in Woodbridge, Va. as a possible site for a new stadium. In early June, that legislation was abandoned by lawmakers due to unresolved issues and controversies surrounding the team. It can be reintroduced when the General Assembly returns to session in early 2023.
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