Commanders diehards, D.C. leaders see team returning to RFK site after legislation clears Senate

Fans who braved the cold for the Commanders’ 36-33 win over the Eagles on Sunday were excited about more than just the afternoon NFC East showdown: There was a palpable buzz over the growing possibility of a return to the old RFK Stadium site for the Burgundy and Gold.

“It’s the only option. It’s gotta be in D.C.,” Commanders fan Neal Kayastha said while tailgating at Northwest Stadium in Landover. “You should play in the city that your name takes after.”

The on-again, off-again effort to bring the Commanders back to the District got a big boost Saturday when the Senate passed legislation giving the city the rights to the federal land. 

The bill sailed through the Senate via unanimous consent around 1 a.m. on Saturday, capping a tumultuous week where the legislation bounced from being a shoo-in as part of a continued resolution to fund the federal government before appearing dead in the water after pushback from President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

The legislation grants the District full administrative control of the 174-acre site for 99 years. The city can tear down the old, decaying stadium and replace it with housing, retail, parks or a new arena. Despite claims from Mr. Musk, the proposal does not divert any federal funds to a stadium or guarantee that the Commanders will move back to the District.

Karsen Dhanaraj, who joined Mr. Kayastha before the game, echoed the sentiments expressed last week by District Mayor Muriel Bowser, who said a new stadium would be bigger than the Commanders. In discussions with reporters last week, the mayor envisioned a new RFK Stadium hosting the Super Bowl, the World Cup, the NFL draft or Taylor Swift concerts. 

“It’s bigger than football. We need those big events,” he said. “It’s the capital of America and we aren’t hosting the World Cup.”

Some former players are on board with that big-picture thinking about economic impact.

“I recall coming here in 1990. … We always left Virginia to go hang out in D.C.,” said Brian Mitchell, a former NFL running back and return specialist who played at RFK Stadium with the Redskins in the 90s. “You’re losing money when people don’t come into the city for your stadium. Think about it.”

But after decades of disappointments on the field and off, some fans — and some public officials —remain skeptical.

Roadblocks will have to be cleared. The city council would likely have to approve funding for the site — which several local officials and residents have opposed.

“I don’t think that’s a good return on the investment,” Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen said on 106.7 The Fan’s “Grant and Danny” show. “So, if D.C. residents are asking if I think I should be spending hundreds of millions of their dollars on an NFL stadium that doesn’t have a return on investment, I don’t think that’s a good deal for D.C.”

Residents in the area around the old stadium site, including Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Ebony Payne, said they’d need widespread investment in their roads and traffic mitigation. 

Ms. Payne said the city — and the Commanders — should consider above-ground parking garages, but the thought is still a concern for Ivan Prieto, who drove from Virginia to Sunday’s game. 

“It’s just the hassle of getting in and out of D.C.,” he said. “If they could find a spot that had space like this, that would be great in D.C. It’s just RFK; I didn’t enjoy it when I was a kid going out there.”

While the RFK site is widely considered the preferred option for Commanders owner Josh Harris — who has warmly discussed his memories at the old stadium — the team hasn’t committed to anything yet. 

“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 of our fans,” Mr. Harris said in a statement on Saturday morning. 

As Mr. Harris implied, Maryland is still in the running to keep the Commanders. According to Maryland officials such as Gov. Wes Moore, the Old Line State still offers the quickest and simplest option for a ritzy new NFL coliseum.

“Commanders: Our position on the stadium hasn’t changed,” Mr. Moore said in a statement. “We are not afraid of competition, and we believe that we can continue to build on decades of partnership with the team here in Maryland.”

That competition has fans like Richard Grey apprehensive about the chances to recreate their favorite football memories in Northeast D.C. 

“It’d be great if it goes back there. I’m all for it, but I don’t think they have enough time to get the funding and everything, compared to what Maryland has,” he said, sporting a jersey of two-time Super Bowl champion Dexter Manley on Sunday. “Maryland has the money now. They have the land.”

But while Maryland banks on practicality, the District is betting on sentimentality and nostalgia.

A return to RFK Stadium, where fans reminisce about wobbly bleachers and raucous crowds, is tied to a return to relevance for Washington diehards who have suffered through decades of mediocrity. 

“That’s where the history is,” Mr. Grey said. “That’s where most of the winning was. Actually, that’s where all the winning was.”