The Washington Commanders, the NFL American football franchise, is set to return to the US capital from its current Maryland home through an agreement with the District of Columbia government to build a new stadium at a cost of almost $4 billion.
The deal to construct the new venue for the team was announced by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Josh Harris, managing partner of the Commanders, with the stadium to be built at the defunct Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium site, where the team played for more than three decades.
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The approximately 65,000-seat stadium is expected to open in 2030.
Under the terms of the deal, the Commanders will invest at least $2.7 billion to build a roofed stadium that can be used year-round, with the city investing roughly $1.1 billion over the next eight years for the stadium, housing, green space and a sportsplex on 170 acres of land bordering the Anacostia River. The stadium itself will take up just 16 of those acres.
In addition to building the stadium, the Commanders will be responsible for activating and developing multiple parcels of land around the stadium with restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels, housing, green space, and more.
Harris said: “This is a defining moment for the DMV and the Washington Commanders. RFK Stadium holds a legendary place in our history – it's where the team dominated the NFL, capturing three Super Bowls. Now, we have the opportunity to honor that legacy by building a new world-class stadium – one that is also a once-in-a-generation catalyst for uplifting and transforming our region.
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By GlobalData“Working hand-in-hand with District and community leaders, we're focused on delivering an incredible home for our players and fans, creating a landmark venue, and sparking a new era of economic opportunity across the DMV.”
Mayor Bowser added: “We are thrilled to welcome the Commanders back home to the sports capital. We said that we could do it all – Commanders, housing, park space, recreation, retail, entertainment and more – and, together, that's what we are delivering.
“When we got control of 180 acres of land on the banks of the Anacostia, we knew right away that partnering with the Commanders would be the fastest and surest route to bringing the RFK campus to life.”
Last August, the Commanders secured an eight-year naming rights deal with Northwest Federal Credit Union, with their home venue now set to be called the Northwest Stadium.
The new deal runs through the 2031 season, around the time that the Commanders are expected to move to the new stadium.
The team’s current stadium – situated in Landover, Maryland – had been known as FedEx Field since 1999, only for the brand to end its naming rights sponsorship with the team in February.
FedEx has now exited the deal, set to expire in 2026, two years early, capitalizing on an opt-out clause it had been able to trigger following the enforced sale of the team by Dan Snyder.
The Commanders have played in Landover, Maryland, since moving there in 1997. The team’s lease at Northwest Stadium runs through 2027.
The team played at RFK Stadium, two miles east of the US Capitol, for 35 seasons from 1961 to 1996 before moving to Maryland.
The ownership group led by billionaire Harris concluded a takeover of the Commanders in July 2023 from controversial previous owner Snyder.
The consortium also included basketball legend Magic Johnson and billionaire Mitch Rales, Harris’ longtime sports business partner.
The Harris-led group acquired the franchise for a record price of $6.05 billion, topping the previous mark set in 2022 when the Walton-Penner family ownership group bought the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion.
