Dan Snyder, the controversial owner of the Washington Commanders, might not be an NFL owner for too much longer. The team announced on Wednesday that Snyder and his wife Tanya hired Bank of America to consider potential transactions.
It’s not clear whether the Snyders intend to sell the whole team outright, some shares of the team, or the stadium. In their two paragraph announcement, the Snyders said they “remain committed to the team” and working to “set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL.” But the Snyders’ critics, of which there are many, find the couple’s claim of high standards for the workplace laughable. Former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III said the city would throw a parade if the Snyders sold the team.
Dan Snyder bought the Commanders in 1999, when the team was known as the Redskins. Snyder said for years he’d never change the name. After advertisers threatened to pull their sponsorships in 2020, Snyder changed his mind. Snyder and the team are no strangers to investigations into misconduct.
Currently, the Washington Commanders are the subject of investigations by both the NFL and the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Dan Snyder has been personally accused of sexual harassment, not protecting female workers, embezzlement, even conducting a shadow investigation into employees who spoke out against the team’s toxic work environment.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said in October he believed “there is merit to remove” Snyder from his ownership position. If the Snyders sell the Commanders outright, the transaction would need approval from three-fourths of the league’s owners. And despite playing in a failing stadium, posting four straight losing records and having the worst attendance in the league, the Washington Commanders will likely fetch a record price tag.
