Maryland has been the home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders since 1997, but new ownership and some congressional help have propelled hopes of Washington, D.C., getting them back within its borders.
The Commanders are actively searching for a new stadium as Northwest Field in Landover, Maryland, shows its age, and team ownership has courted interest from all three jurisdictions between D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Commanders owner Josh Harris said in August that 2030 is a “realistic target” for a new stadium, meaning the winning pitch would need to be agreed to and built within the next six years. Here is where things stand in the battle to have the Commanders’ home field.
Congressional Hail Mary keeps D.C. in the mix
Washington, D.C., is the namesake of the team, and it was where the team played. It was then known as the Washington Redskins, from 1937 until 1996. The most recent venue where the team played in D.C. was at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, in southeast D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. That location is again being eyed for a new stadium.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has made keeping the sports team in the district a key focus in recent years after almost losing the Washington Capitals and Wizards to neighboring Virginia. The city approved legislation to purchase and renovate Capital One Arena, where the Capitals and Wizards play, and Bowser has advocated federal legislation to clear the way for the RFK Stadium land to be redeveloped.
The D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act would force the General Services Administration to enter a lease with the city of Washington for the land, allowing it to redevelop the area into a new football stadium, commercial and residential developments, or recreational facilities.
It was approved in the House of Representatives, 348-55, in February but stalled in the Senate and appeared in danger of not passing. The legislation then got a lifeline when it was included in the continuing resolution to keep the federal government funded through mid-March 2025, but once that stopgap was dropped in favor of one without the provision, it seemed to be the death knell to current hopes.
The original bill passed the Senate early Saturday morning in a last-ditch Hail Mary as improbable as Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels’s game-winning throw to beat the Chicago Bears earlier this year. The legislation still must be signed into law by President Joe Biden, and it appears all but certain he will do so.
Officials in D.C. and the Commanders’ organization celebrated the passing of the legislation, with Harris expressing his satisfaction that it would allow the district to be considered for the new stadium.
“We are extremely grateful that our elected officials have come together on a bipartisan basis to give Washington, D.C., the opportunity to decide the future on the RFK stadium site,” Harris said in a statement. “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 our fans.”
This is a win for DC, for our region, and for America.
Everybody loves a good comeback story – and that’s DC’s story. #OurRFK
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) December 21, 2024
“This is a win for DC, for our region, and for America. Everybody loves a good comeback story – and that’s DC’s story,” Bowser said in a post on X, shortly after the bill was passed by the Senate.
While the bill hands over control of the RFK Stadium land and surrounding area to the district, it does not have to be used for a stadium
Maryland is still the incumbent but is preparing for a move
The Commanders’ current home is not backing down from its efforts to woo the team into staying in the Old Line State, but it also understands D.C.’s jolt of momentum could cost the bid to keep the team.
Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) told NBC Washington Sunday that he is looking forward to competing against D.C. for the new stadium but also stressed that no matter what happens, his state will be OK in the end.
“No matter what, Maryland is going to be OK, and that was our number one priority,” Moore told the outlet.
“Wherever the Washington Commanders end up, whether it’s where they should be — in Maryland — or even if they go to Washington, D.C., we’d be perfectly fine with that. But it’s important for people to know that the future of this area, no matter what, is going to be better than what it is right now,” he added.
The Commanders’ lease at Northwest Stadium currently runs through 2027, and the team will likely stay at the stadium until a new stadium, either in Maryland or D.C., is built. Maryland is already forging a path forward if the Commanders do vacate the Landover site.
The state has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Commanders to guarantee that the land is redeveloped “with a project of equal economic impact of the current stadium,” should the team leave to build a stadium in D.C.
“The team has committed to making sure that even if they left and went back to Washington, D.C., that they would pay for the demolition of the stadium and also work with us to be able to pay for the complete rebuild of this area,” Moore told NBC Washington.
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Virginia, the other place where the Commanders could build a stadium, could still land the team’s new stadium, though talks have largely surrounded D.C. and Maryland. The commonwealth is home to the team’s training facilities in Ashburn.
The fight for the new Commanders stadium comes as the team is having an excellent year on the field, with a 10-5 record and appearing on track to have their first playoff appearance since 2020.
