The Washington Commanders are a scarred fan base that has been beaten and battered for the last two decades.
Right now, team officials are in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine attempting to find the next top prospects that will help right the ship in DC.
The Dan Snyder era — which was riddled with scandal, dysfunction, terrible decisions both on the field and off the field and turned one of the most respected NFL franchises into a laughing stock — has left part of the fan base with legitimate PTSD.
By the time he agreed in principle to sell the Washington Commanders for a record $6 billion to an ownership Group led by Josh Harris, who also owns the 76ers (NBA ) and Flyers (NHL) Snyder was ravaged by scandals which drew investigations and legal inquiry. The formerly brash, big-spending owner had been pressured into changing the team’s name and logo, buying out his partners and, eventually, to awaken from a dream which had turned into a nightmare for many.
Despite Snyder’s dream, the team never won the Super Bowl in his tenure, or even made it as far as a conference championship game.
Moments after the sale was finalized, the league released findings from its 17-monthlong investigation. It found that Dan Snyder sexually harassed a woman who was both a former cheerleader and marketing employee for the team, and substantiated claims that the team intentionally withheld about $11 million in revenue that was supposed to be shared among the league’s 32 teams.
The investigation could neither conclude nor rule out that Snyder directed or participated in this revenue-shielding, but that “at a minimum, he was aware of certain efforts to minimize revenue sharing.”
The league fined Snyder a record $60 million.
Snyder had asked the NFL to free him from liability in outstanding and potential future legal disputes, but did not receive such protection.
This was the result of the former Washington Commanders owner constantly making extreme football decisions instead of off letting the people hired to make those decisions do their jobs.
While Josh Harris has appeared to take a smart, refreshing approach since buying the team for a record $6 billion, there’s a feeling from fans as if it’s all going to crumble. That’s what they are used to.
Dan Snyder began his overly hands-on approach almost right way after purchasing the team in 1999. Stirring the fan base early, Snyder added future two future Hall of Famers, defensive end Bruce Smith and cornerback Deion Sanders, who signed a seven-year deal worth up to $56 million, as well as quarterback Jeff George. The moves backfired: Snyder fired Coach Norv Turner after Week 14, Washington missed the playoffs, and Sanders retired.
Beyond that, there were so many eye-popping moves over the years where Snyder overruled coaches and GMs and demanded that certain players were selected or hired coaches like Steve Spurrier and Jim Zorn who had no business leading a NFL team. There was Albert Haynesworth which went down as one of the worst free agency moves in league history.
More recently, it was reported head coach Jay Gruden didn’t have a high grade on former Ohio State Qb Dwayne Haskins, but Snyder demanded they draft the late Haskins, because he had attended the same school as Snyder’s son.
Washington Commanders Having Dan Snyder Flashbacks After Report About Josh Harris At The NFL Combine
The NFL Combine is a great event for teams to meet with potential draft prospects, but is most popular for scouts and GMs/personnel members of a NFL team.
There are even some coaches like Rams Sean McVay, who have made the decision to skip the combine all together.
The Washington Commanders — in the first year under the new brass — took a much different approach. Not only are new GM Adam Peters and HC Dan Quinn in Indianapolis to talk and meet with prospects , but new owner Josh Harris is there too. He may be the only owner in the building.
It makes sense for him to want to take part in the event and understand how it all works, but a report from Adam Schefter on Thursday morning sent fans into a panic and triggered them from the Dan Snyder era.
Attending his first combine as the Washington Commanders owner, Josh Harris has sat in and taken part of each of the six interviews that the team has conducted with the top quarterback prospects in this draft. Most owners don’t attend the combine; Harris is not only in… pic.twitter.com/45CB3tb65E
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 29, 2024
This instantly triggered Washington Commanders fans as they instantly believed Harris was going to attempt to play a part in making the decision on the team’s next quarterback. The reactions were wild, either comparing Harris to Snyder or a bad NFL owner or the opposite, fans telling everyone to calm down and understand Josh Harris is just attempting to learn in his first year as a NFL owner.
But it’s clear Harris being so active at the NFL Combine was major news in DC this morning.
This is not good. This is what Jerry Jones does.
— Cancún on 3 🏖 (@Legendary_JT) February 29, 2024
That's a no for me. Let the GM do their job
— Jeff Millar (@Bananacooler) February 29, 2024
David Tepper 2.0
— Glory Holz (@_GloryHolz) February 29, 2024
Not a good sign. He should let his football professionals do their jobs. Screams micromanagement 😳
— jarel portman (@jarelportman) February 29, 2024
Yall seriously can’t differentiate what Dan Snyder did meddling in all affairs on & off the field… and Josh Harris sitting in on quarterback interviews? PTSD got its hooks in DEEP
— Paul (@paulwillFGP) February 29, 2024
Exactly Josh Harris admits he’s always around things but doesn’t interfere with the draft but he likes to know what’s going on but of course people still have PTSD from Dan Snyder so…. https://t.co/hIuiLGWtkn
— Zac (@DCzWall) February 29, 2024
A few reporters and insiders with behind-the-scenes information later clarified exactly what Harris was doing in these meetings with the top QB prospects.
Josh Harris from September: "I'm in the draft room in the NBA and would expect to be in the draft room in the NFL. You want to understand the process. You're not picking players. When we went to 53 [players during final roster cuts] I asked to be briefed on some of the harder…
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) February 29, 2024
Josh Harris sat in on six QB interviews at the combine, source confirmed, but I’m told he was there to observe rather than ask questions.
The meetings were led by GM Adam Peters and included Coach Dan Quinn, AGM Lance Newmark and others.
— Sam Fortier (@Sam4TR) February 29, 2024
It’s obvious Josh Harris was simply observing his new GM and learning about the process to make such a massive, franchise-altering decision. He has that right as the team owner and there’s nothing to say he will attempt to meddle in decision-making or operate anything like Dan Snyder did.