What's next in Commanders stadium saga

How soon could the Washington Commanders return to the old RFK Stadium site in a new stadium? It’s not a done deal yet. 

After saving the federal government from a national shutdown in the final moments of the 2024 Congress, the U.S. Senate unexpectedly lingered to pass the transfer of the RFK site to the Washington, D.C. government as a 99-year lease before adjourning.

A bill that went from sure thing Thursday to dead on Friday when stripped from a continuing resolution bill was suddenly revived as a stand-alone vote. President Joe Biden must sign the bill, which is expected.

Now the real negotiating begins. Washington mayor Muriel Bowser must secure a deal with Commanders majority owner Josh Harris. It would then be submitted to the city council, which controls the money.

Meanwhile, Maryland governor Wes Moore has been lobbying hard for a deal for a  stadium adjacent to existing Northwest Stadium, located in Landover, since training camp. Don’t underestimate Moore’s impact, if for nothing else to force Washington into a bigger offer. We just saw this happen last spring, when Washington approved $550 million to improve Capitol One Arena after Virginia offered a new arena for the Washington Wizards and Capitals.

Don’t expect a quick deal as Harris tries to play Maryland and Washington offers against each other. Virginia, for all its bluster two years ago trying to gain a Commanders stadium deal, is not considered a serious bidder.

If Bowser and Harris cut a deal, the city council will be a split vote. The 13-member council requires a simple majority approval, but several members are known opponents to a stadium. They want affordable housing and commercial use for the 170-acre site on the city’s eastern edge that has been neglected since RFK was built in 1961. The council lost a sure yes vote with Vincent Gray’s recent retirement. Another member -– Trayvon White -–  was recommended to be removed by a council committee with a full council vote expected soon. His replacement might not come for several months.

When Washington needed a baseball stadium to gain the Montreal Expos relocation to Washington in 2005, the council barely passed the measure 7-6. And that came only because of the strong arming of council member Marion Barry and lots of funded projects to win over other council members.

This process won’t be any easier. Any deal announced soon will be subject to outside influences, much like the RFK bill was nearly defeated by a Wyoming senator who delayed the vote for eight months and Maryland senators who wanted a National Guard unit transferred from Washington to its bordering state.

But this is a win-win for whoever gets the stadium thanks to the economic development surrounding it. And for many Commanders fans who miss the team's long-go home -- the place where three Super Bowl championships were forged -- it would be a welcome homecoming.