ASHBURN, Va. — Jason Wright, the primary Black workforce president in NFL historical past, will not serve in that position and can go away the Washington Commanders after the season, a workforce spokesperson confirmed. He’ll function a senior adviser till his departure.
Wright will proceed to give attention to securing naming rights for the stadium in addition to serving to find a brand new stadium website. However there will likely be a direct seek for a brand new president, led by majority proprietor Josh Harris and Tad Brown, the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports activities & Leisure.
Former proprietor Dan Snyder employed Wright in August 2020, based mostly largely on the advice of the league, per a number of sources. Washington was embroiled in controversy that summer season, from allegations of a poisonous work tradition — and sexual harassment accusations — to a reputation change.
Wright was employed to steer the franchise by this era. He additionally was employed to attempt to rebuild the season-ticket base, which had dwindled significantly over time below Snyder, in addition to discover or hold sponsorships. Wright additionally helped lead the identify change course of, with enter from a number of folks, that ultimately settled on the Commanders, a reputation that continues to be unpopular among the many fan base.
Wright was a public face of the franchise at a time when it was embroiled in quite a few controversies that occurred earlier than his arrival — with investigations by Congress and the attorneys normal in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia into the office tradition in addition to their enterprise dealings below Snyder. Since Harris purchased the workforce in July 2023, Washington has seen a rise in sponsors and season tickets, although FedEx ended its naming rights deal after the season.
Wright’s contract was set to run out sooner or later in August, based on a number of sources. Wright interviewed to be Inexperienced Bay’s chairman, CEO and president however didn’t get the job.
“This appears like the fitting second for me to discover my subsequent management alternative,” Wright mentioned in an announcement. “I am extraordinarily grateful to my Commanders colleagues, our followers, and this neighborhood for all that we have now completed these previous 4 years and am trying ahead to the beginning of a really profitable season for the burgundy and gold.”
Washington’s group has undergone a significant facelift below Harris. The Commanders energy construction now has a brand new normal supervisor (Adam Peters), coach (Dan Quinn) and, quickly, a brand new president who would solely be accountable for the enterprise facet.
Harris and his possession group spent the previous yr evaluating the group in each facet, resulting in the quite a few modifications.
“Jason has made a outstanding impression on the Commanders group since he joined 4 years in the past,” Harris mentioned in an announcement. “He stepped in at a time of immense problem and has led this group by an unimaginable transformation that set that stage for every thing that’s to return. I’m extraordinarily grateful to Jason for his partnership to me and the remainder of the possession group over the previous yr. His steerage has been invaluable and his management has helped reshape our tradition.”
In an announcement, Wright mentioned he is pleased with what they’ve completed throughout his time.
“Now we have taken this franchise by a interval of immense problem and uncertainty and have remodeled it,” he mentioned. “We have set the desk for an extremely vivid future below Josh’s management. Over simply the previous yr, we have welcomed report numbers of followers again into our constructing, made significant enhancements to the fan expertise, reengaged with company companions, and reconnected with the neighborhood. Most significantly, we reestablished a tradition of respect on this group.”
The Washington Publish first reported the information.