Dan Snyder sent letter to NFL owners denying ESPN report

Washington Commanders co-owner Dan Snyder. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Commanders' Dan Snyder sent letter to NFL owners saying ESPN reporting is 'patently false'

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 10/19/22

Last week, ESPN reported that Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder had "dirt" on his fellow owners, coaches and executives in the NFL. He had accumulated this "dirt" via sources, and per ESPN, he even had a private investigative firm looking into people.

Snyder has long been seen as "public enemy No. 1" among NFL owners. Sure, the old name of his team didn't help matters, but his organization has also faced allegations of being a hostile workplace — particularly toward women. It was so bad, in fact, that even Congress decided to look into Snyder and his franchise.

So yes, the owners as a whole probably have good reason to see Snyder boosted from his position of power in Washington. That would be even more so the case if the ESPN report about him collecting the goods on his fellow owners is true.

And to that point, Snyder says...nay...in a letter to the league owners.

Dan Snyder sent this letter to his fellow NFL owners today: pic.twitter.com/HxrM5KOte0
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 18, 2022

In part, the letter reads:

“I would like to address a recent ESPN article that contains false and malicious statements about the Washington Commanders, our management team, and me and my family.

“There is one allegation in the ESPN article that I feel it is important to address immediately. The article cites unnamed sources who said: ‘They’ve been told that Snyder instructed his law firms to hire private investigators to look into other owners’ and Commissioner Goodell. That is patently false and intended to erode the trust and goodwill between owners that I take quite seriously. I have never instructed or authorized my lawyers to hire any private investigator on my behalf for any such purpose. And I never would.”

It will be interesting to see if Snyder's peers end up believing him, but perhaps the damage is already done. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay already thinks there's merit to the idea of the NFL ownership fraternity booting Snyder, and he thinks there would be the votes to do it as well.

“I believe that there’s merit to remove him as owner of the [Commanders],” Irsay said to reporters, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “I think it’s something that we have to review. We have to look at all the evidence and be thorough in going forward. But I think it’s something that has to be given serious consideration.”

Stay tuned, because this saga is far from over.

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