Commander Country

RFK return hits a snag? D.C. Mayor sounds alarm over Commanders stadium timeline

Washington D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser is a bit concerned over timeline of Washington Commanders returning to RFK site.
Dr. Brandie Smith and D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser open the gate to let in Yu Ying Public Charter School kindergarten students for the opening ceremony in honor of the public debut of the giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Jan. 24, 2025.
Dr. Brandie Smith and D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser open the gate to let in Yu Ying Public Charter School kindergarten students for the opening ceremony in honor of the public debut of the giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Jan. 24, 2025. | Josh Morgan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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There has been plenty to talk about regarding the Washington Commanders as they look to repeat the success they had last season when they made it to the NFC Championship game before losing to their NFC East foes, the Philadelphia Eagles.

The franchise regrouped this offseason through trades, free agency, and the NFL Draft, but the big news of late has surrounded whether or not the organization will do right by wide receiver Terry McLaurin and reward him with a long-term contract extension.

Focus has been on football, and rightfully so, but there has been other news regarding the Commanders playing out in the background: a return to their original home, where RFK Stadium used to stand.

RFK Stadiu
Jan 17, 1988;Washington, DC, USA; FILE PHOTO; Washington Redskins quarterback Doug Williams (17) celebrates after defeating the Minnesota Vikings in the 1987 NFC Championship game at RFK Stadium. The Redskins defeated the Vikings 17-10. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Imagn Images | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

It was approved earlier this year for the Commanders to make their way back home closer to the Nation's capital, but recently, there has become a concern regarding the timeline on when that might happen.

In a recent interview with The Team 980, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was asked by Kevin Sheehan the level of concern with getting the team into their new stadium by 2030 on a scale of 0 to 5, with 5 being the most concerned, and she was fairly blunt in her remarks.

"That's a good question. Listen, I'm concerned right now that everybody buckle down and get to work. I believe, I'm not concerned about our deal, our deal is solid," Mayor Bowser exclaimed. "It pays off for D.C., and at the end of the day, I think everybody wants the same thing. So I would put my level of concern, because you know, when you're a big city mayor, you're concerned about everything. I'll put it at a four."

Clearly Mayor Bowser is concerned with when the team will in fact be able to call D.C. home again with much of that coming from a lack of speed from the D.C. Counsil to make a decision.

She reiterated that all sides seem to be on the same page with bringing the Commanders back to the place they called home from 1961-1996, but it seems as if the Council is dragging its feet in making the decision final.

The team and Bowser have both wanted the approval by July 15th; however, public hearings have been set for the 29th and 30th, two weeks past the deadline originally set.

We will continue to monitor the situation as more information becomes available.


READ MORE: Washington Commanders' Week 11 opponent named biggest loser of blockbuster NFL trade

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 offseason.

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Caleb Skinner
CALEB SKINNER

Caleb is from Nashville, TN, and graduated from Florida State University in 2018 with majors in Sociology and History. He has previously written for an FSU outlet and started covering the Buccaneers in March of 2022 while co-hosting the Hear the Cannons podcast. He expanded his role with GamedayMedia by covering the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders in April of 2024. You can follow Caleb on Twitter @chsnole

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