Commanders prez Wright to exit after season

John Keim, ESPN Staff WriterJul 18, 2024, 03:56 PM ET
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ASHBURN, Va. — Jason Wright, the first Black team president in NFL history, will no longer serve in that role and will leave the Washington Commanders after the season, a team spokesperson confirmed. He’ll serve as a senior adviser until his departure.

Wright will continue to focus on securing naming rights for the stadium as well as helping in finding a new stadium site. But there will be an immediate search for a new president, led by majority owner Josh Harris and Tad Brown, the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.

Former owner Dan Snyder hired Wright in August 2020, based in large part on the recommendation of the league, per multiple sources. Washington was embroiled in controversy that summer, from allegations of a toxic work culture — and sexual harassment accusations — to a name change.

Wright was hired to steer the franchise through this period. He also was hired to try to rebuild the season-ticket base, which had dwindled considerably over the years under Snyder, as well as find or keep sponsorships. Wright also helped lead the name change process, with input from multiple people, that eventually settled on the Commanders, a name that remains unpopular among the fan base.

Wright was a public face of the franchise at a time when it was embroiled in numerous controversies that occurred before his arrival — with investigations by Congress and the attorneys general in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia into the workplace culture as well as their business dealings under Snyder. Since Harris bought the team in July 2023, Washington has seen an increase in sponsors and season tickets, though FedEx ended its naming rights deal after the season.

Wright’s contract was set to expire at some point in August, according to multiple sources. Wright interviewed to be Green Bay’s chairman, CEO and president but did not get the job.

“This feels like the right moment for me to explore my next leadership opportunity,” Wright said in a statement. “I’m extremely grateful to my Commanders colleagues, our fans, and this community for all that we have accomplished these past four years and am looking forward to the start of a very successful season for the burgundy and gold.”

Washington’s organization has undergone a major facelift under Harris. The Commanders power structure now has a new general manager (Adam Peters), coach (Dan Quinn) and, soon, a new president who would only be in charge of the business side.

Harris and his ownership group spent the past year evaluating the organization in every aspect, leading to the numerous changes.

“Jason has made a remarkable impact on the Commanders organization since he joined four years ago,” Harris said in a statement. “He stepped in at a time of immense challenge and has led this organization through an incredible transformation that set that stage for everything that is to come. I am extremely grateful to Jason for his partnership to me and the rest of the ownership group over the past year. His guidance has been invaluable and his leadership has helped reshape our culture.”

In a statement, Wright said he’s proud of what they’ve accomplished during his time.

“We have taken this franchise through a period of immense challenge and uncertainty and have transformed it,” he said. “We’ve set the table for an incredibly bright future under Josh’s leadership. Over just the past year, we’ve welcomed record numbers of fans back into our building, made meaningful improvements to the fan experience, reengaged with corporate partners, and reconnected with the community. Most importantly, we reestablished a culture of respect in this organization.”

The Washington Post first reported the news.