Virginia Senate Leader Says Commanders Stadium Bill is Dead

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw, who has led the charge to bring the Commanders franchise to Virginia, said Thursday that he’s giving up on the bill because of controversies surrounding the franchise, according to The Washington Post.

Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio was criticized for comments he made Wednesday when he referred to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection as a “dust-up” at the Capitol. 

Del Rio apologized for his comments on Wednesday night.

“This obviously was not very helpful to put it mildly, but there’s so many other things out there,” Saslaw said when asked if Del Rio’s comments factored into his decision to terminate the bill.

“There were just so many things out there that a lot of people are saying. ‘Saslaw, this thing needs to wait.’”

Outside of Del Rio’s comments, the Commanders franchise has come under fire for allegations of sexual harassment and financial misconduct under owner Dan Snyder’s watch. 

The news of the bill being terminated comes two weeks after a report from ESPN revealed that the team spent $100 million purchasing land for a potential stadium site in Prince William County, Virginia. 

The sale, which was for approximately 200 acres of land, was completed in mid-May.