‘We’re still in the game’: What could a new Commanders stadium in Maryland look like?

Virginia lawmakers have not been shy about their eagerness to get the new Washington Commanders stadium built in their state. 

But Maryland Del. Jazz Lewis believes Commanders fans shouldn’t count out Virginia’s northern neighbor, as plans for a new stadium for the NFL franchise in Prince George’s County are in the works.

“We want them to stay,” Lewis said. “I think we’re still in the game.”

Lewis, a Democrat from Prince George’s County, said the plan to keep the team in Maryland is one piece of the county’s “Blue Line Corridor” project — an initiative aimed at boosting development along the Metro line.

One of the biggest problems at FedEx Field ­— routinely ranked by fans as one of the most unpopular facilities in the league — is the location. The stadium is about a mile away from the nearest Metro stop at Morgan Boulevard, and the long walk, on narrow sidewalks and across crowded intersections, has convinced most fans to drive, causing even more traffic. 

Lewis said the goal to keep the team in Landover could include building a new stadium for the franchise within walking distance of the Morgan Boulevard station. 

“I live about five minutes away from the stadium. I feel the traffic often, and it’s a big issue,” Lewis said.

Another issue with FedEx, Lewis said, is that it’s an “island,” with not many businesses nearby for fans before or after games. Lewis envisions the new location being similar to Nationals Park, where fans can hop right off the Metro and enter a “sports and entertainment district” — with restaurants, bars, hotels and other venues within walking distance of the stadium. 

But Maryland keeping the Commanders after FedEx’s lease expires following the 2027 football season is far from certain, as Virginia lawmakers are pushing to finance a plan to lure the franchise to the Old Dominion State. 

Earlier this year, Virginia lawmakers passed two different bills — one in the House and the other in the Senate — to establish a local football authority for the $3 billion project.

Documents from the Virginia proposal show plans for a stadium site in either Sterling, Woodbridge or Dumfries. The amount of bond money Virginia was willing to dish out was thought to be $1 billion, but the Washington Post reported last week that the state’s lawmakers agreed to cap the limit at $350 million. 

The less-generous bond amount could be good news for Maryland’s chances to keep the team.

Maryland’s proposal, according to reports, would entail the Maryland Stadium Authority selling “hundreds of millions of dollars” in bonds to foot part of the bill. 

Lewis doesn’t want to compare the current plans in Maryland to those in Virginia, but he does believe his state has “some advantages.” 

“We already own a pretty substantial amount of land where they’re currently at,” he said. “There’s no way to get around that in Virginia. They’re going to have to buy land that’s going to come at a premium.”

Earlier this month, Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat, told Bryn Stole of the Baltimore Sun that keeping the Commanders in Maryland is “an important priority.” But he added that he doesn’t want the state to be used “as a tool for leverage” in negotiations. 

“Our plans have nothing to do with Virginia,” Lewis said. “If other folks are trying to leverage conversations for ulterior purposes, I can’t speak to that. All I know is everything we’re doing is toward a broader plan on how to make the most of that space and land for the people who live there.”

While Lewis wants to keep the Commanders in Maryland, it’s not just about football. He’s more concerned about improving the “quality of life” for those in Prince George’s County as well as the potentially devastating impacts losing the stadium could have on Landover residents. 

“Many of the folks who live around the stadium, these are a lot of seniors who were first in their families to purchase homes, first generation to move out of D.C., real American Dream come true,” Lewis said. “We don’t want their housing prices to plummet. We don’t want to harm them.”