Commanders and Washington agree to a deal to build at RFK Stadium site

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington’s NFL franchise is set to return to the nation’s capital as part of an agreement between the organization and the District of Columbia government to build on the site of the old RFK Stadium.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday the District of Columbia and the Ashburn-based Commanders reached an agreement to construct a new home for the football team in the city at the place the franchise called home for more than three decades. The agreement is pending D.C. City Council approval.

The team and the mayor announced the move in a video posted on social media, narrated by Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Theismann, who spoke about his experience playing at RFK Stadium and how the new one will benefit the city.

“The time is now,” Theismann said. “Let’s bring Washington back to D.C.”

Further details on timing and funding are expected later in the day. Bowser and team officials are scheduled to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. EDT.

Commanders ownership, led by Josh Harris, has been considering places in Washington, Maryland and Virginia since buying the team from Dan Snyder in 2022. The most recent progress came when congress passed a bill transferring the RFK Stadium land to D.C. that was signed by former President Joe Biden in early January, after lobbying on Capitol Hill by Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell late last year.

Washington has played in Landover, Maryland, since moving there in 1997. The Commanders’ lease at Northwest Stadium in Landover runs through 2027. Harris has called 2030 a “reasonable target” for a new stadium.

The team played at RFK Stadium, 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) east of the U.S. Capitol, from 1961-96 before moving to Maryland. Harris and several co-owners, including Mitch Rales and Mark Ein, grew up as Washington football fans during that era, which included the glory days of three Super Bowl championships from 1982-91.