Stanford's Andrew Luck Visits Former Teammate During Commanders Game

Andrew Luck and John Donahoe spotted at Commanders-Raiders

Sep 13, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal general manager Andrew Luck celebrates after defeating the Boston College Eagles at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Stanford football lost on Saturday to Virginia, but the following day, the leaders of Stanford Athletics took in some NFL action. On Sunday, Stanford football general manager Andrew Luck and athletics director Jonn Donahoe were spotted at the contest between the Washington Commanders and the Las Vegas Raiders matchup on the East Coast.

The Cardinal, who fell to Virginia 48-20 the night before to fall to 1-3, were already on the East Coast for the contest. While the rest of the team flew back to The Farm, Luck and Donahoe stayed behind to watch the Commanders win the game to improve to 2-1, even with starting quarterback Jayden Daniels out with an injury.

BREAKING: as reported by Stanford Football Fans on Instagram and confirmed per sources: GM Andrew Luck and AD John Donahoe were spotted at the Commanders vs Raiders game. The Commanders QB coach is former Stanford OC Tavita Pritchard, and Zach Ertz plays TE for the Commanders. pic.twitter.com/w1OWhZUjek

— Stanford Football Updates🌲 (@stanfballupdate) September 21, 2025

Luck being at the Commanders game makes sense given his connection to the organization. Commanders tight end Zach Ertz was a teammate of Luck’s at Stanford from 2009-2011, evolving into one of Luck’s top pass catchers. Ertz caught three passes for 38 yards from backup Marcus Mariota on Sunday.

Tavita Pritchard, the Commanders quarterbacks coach, was Stanford’s quarterback from 2006-2009, and was teammates with Luck during the final two seasons of his college career.

After struggling to make it in the NFL, Pritchard entered into the world of coaching and served on Stanford’s staff in various roles, ending as the offensive coordinator in 2022 before departing for the Commanders.

Firing former head coach Troy Taylor at the start of spring practice and replacing him with an interim in Frank Reich, Pritchard’s name has been brought up as a possible long-term replacement for the program.

Even though Stanford struggled during his time as the offensive coordinator, his development of Daniels and his role in helping Washington find success last season could help bring him back to The Farm.

But right now, the task for Luck, Donahoe and Stanford is simple— help Stanford improve off of four straight 3-9 seasons and build for the future. Getting on the board with a win after beating Boston College in the home opener, the Cardinal proved that they have the pieces to win some games. Now they just need everything to come together consistently and string together some consecutive wins.

Following Stanford’s loss to Virginia, the team will return home for their next game, where a matchup against San Jose State awaits. Dubbed as the Bill Walsh Legacy Game, the Cardinal and San Jose State restarted the series last season after more than a decade off, with San Jose State winning last year’s game in upset fashion. This year, it's a must-win game for the Cardinal.

Kickoff for the Stanford-San Jose State game is set for Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (PDT).