FedEx ending stadium naming deal with Washington Commanders

Although the team was sold a year ago, the Daniel Snyder era of the Washington Commanders is now done in every way possible.

According to multiple media outlets, FedEx Field will have a new name as the global shipping and office supply company will end its naming rights agreement two years early. The final rights deal, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic, had given the Commanders around $15 million a year through its duration.

As a replacement for Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington D.C., FedEx Field opened in 1997 as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, named after the team's then-owner. There had always been anger about the team moving away from the heart of the nation's capital for farmland in Landover, Maryland. In fact, Cooke had gone so far as to rename the area of the stadium Raljon after his two sons Ralph and John. 

One of the first major changes Snyder made upon buying the team in 1999 was changing the name of the two-year-old building after selling its naming rights to FedEx. While Raljon never stuck for the town, FedEx Field became synonymous with the team's dysfunction throughout Snyder's tenure, including rampant problems with the stadium itself.

The stadium has routinely been rated as one of, if not the very worst venue in the NFL by fans, media and players. From obstructed seats to poor sightlines in the upper reaches of the stadium, to the frightening railing collapse in 2022, FedEx Field is loathed by just about everyone who steps foot inside. Even Snyder looked at developing a new stadium for the team in the latter part of his ownership, although his numerous controversies kept lawmakers from wanting to provide any public funding or land rights.

As a reminder of how much players around the league despise the stadium, JP Finlay, the sports reporter from NBC 4 Washington, shared the results of a survey on how they rated FedEx: