Washington Commanders Managing Partner Josh Harris addressed the media before the team's preseason game against the New England Patriots. Here is a full transcript of his press conference.
*On how eager he is to get the season started: *"Let's go. No, I'm eager. I mean, it's so fun to be back. All the progress we made since last season. I mean, think about it. New coach, new [General Manager], a lot of new front office people, new coaches, new players, new quarterback. I think I know you all toured the facilities, so just a lot going on and a lot of really positive things, but ready to, ready to get going."
*On any updates on the RFK bill and relocating the stadium: *"We're working super hard. I mean, it's taking up a lot of my own mind space to find our next home, but and as you know, we have conversations going with multiple jurisdictions and not a lot really to say, other than as you peel the onion, things get more and more detailed, more and more advanced. I mean, you're aware of some of the things going on in DC and the congressional support. We're hoping to get the Senate to buy into that also, probably after the election. I'll leave it to you all or other pundits to predict political action. But, a lot of, lot of good stuff going on, and very positive, but not a lot to share."
*On why his focus is waiting till after the election for the RFK bill: *"Yeahso if you look at what's happening in the Senate realistically, and now I'm really getting outta my depth, there's not a lot happening, right? Everyone's focused on the election. So, this is the kind of thing that would, that would have to be part of a series of bills that would go through in the lame duck session. So it's not really realistic to think that's gonna happen before the election."
*On if he would commit to other legislative efforts should the RFK bill fail: *"Yeah, I think, I'm hoping that we can get some action before the change to the next Senate and Congress and administration, because I think that's when all bets are, I don't know, the answer is, it's very hard to predict what that looks like. So, ideally, since we have a lot of stuff lined up right now would happen in the lame duck session, but again, now you're really predicting the inner workings of Washington."
*On how firm is the 2030 date to open the new stadium: *"Yeah, it's a target. I think it's a realistic target. I mean, I wouldn't say that, again, there's a lot. There's political things that need to occur. There's land zoning, a whole lot of other things. A lot of it's not within our control, so there's no way to predict a specific date, but I think that's a reasonable target."
*On his thoughts on QB Jayden Daniels and difference in the franchise: *"Yeah, look, I'm super pumped that we, that [QB] Jayden [Daniels] is with us. I'm very excited about the pick. I mean, look, you all watch what I watch, right? I mean, you see, he hasn't been on the field all that much, but you see how we move down the field, different level. Plus, him as a person, as a human being, as a worker, earliest at the training facility, latest to leave, real teammate, real leader, real athleticism, and just a great person to be around. So I think that I'm very, very optimistic and excited about watching him this season."
*On his first reaction to the changes in the stadium: *"Yeah, I think I'm very pumped to see the new everything, right? The new suites, the new mini marts, the frictionless market, uh, marts, the easier ingress, egress, all of it. New paint and the tunnel club, all the new food. Although the mac and cheese was a little much for me today, I'm not gonna lie. But, on the other hand, I also was wandering around planning next season's Capital project. So I see, I think we got more to do, and it really makes me happy, and a strange thing, right? Usually it's strange when you're spending lots of money, but I really get excited about fixing the place up for our fans and making it. I mean, as I said, when we bought the team, bought the club, you're inviting people into your house and you don't want to have an old couch, finishes that are crumbling and all that. So I think that I'm looking forward to continuing to make a lot of progress right now. I mean, obviously now that the season's starting, it's all gonna happen next year, but we're gonna get started for next year now."
*On his impression of the culture Head Coach Dan Quinn has built: *"Yeah, people are having fun. People are committed, they're having fun. You've got [Head Coach] Dan [Quinn] obviously is very intense, but he's building a culture of everyone being on the same page, having the same goals, same objectives, and he gamifies things and a lot of optimism, a lot of excitement. People, all the vets showed up at an optional veteran mini camp. You know, it doesn't really happen. So, it's a total, it's a great vibe and a different vibe, and people are just ready to get going."
*On the renovations being done to the training facility and if it is tied to the upgrades at the stadium: *"Look, we're just starting to do a lot of planning there, but again I'd say yes and no. I mean, obviously there are a lot of choices to be made, and if we end up with a stadium in one jurisdiction, there's advantages to disadvantages. We're the DMV, right? There's three jurisdictions, but on the other hand, you know, so it's tied in some sense. But, I'm sort of undergoing the same process there, which is like, what, what can we fix next? And obviously, the player lounge. It was great, it was harmonious for me to just watch that old, the high school turf go up from 1980-something and get rolled up into a ball. But there's a lot, I mean, there's an enormous amount to do there. I mean, obviously we need to do a lot better there. So, we're gonna keep working on that as well. But, now that the season's on, it's gonna get pushed also, but you'll see just continuous improvement at both locations."
*On the timeline for more changes he wants to see: *"Yeah, look, I think that obviously, we're looking for a new president, and I'm, you know, that's my most important job as managing partner is finding the coach, finding the GM, and finding the president. So president's super important and I'm really engaged in it, and personally leading it and going back to talking to search firms and talking to candidates and all that. So, and I'm obviously, you know, I obviously wish [Senior Advisor] Jason [Wright] did an amazing job for us transitioning. Came in during previous ownership, transitioned the franchise through a very difficult time period, and welcomed us and did and continues to do an amazing job for us. So I wish him well. So that's like the next area of focus."
*On the decision to remove the Sean Taylor memorial and commission a new statue: *"Yeah, I think that honoring our alumni and obviously Washington Football, the glory of Washington Football, three Super Bowls, we have a lot. But Sean Taylor is particularly important for obvious reasons, and I wanted to make sure that he had a first class memorial, first class exhibit. And so, we've been working closely with the Taylor family and came to the decision jointly that it was probably time to look for something new and we'll be considering that over the next season with the family. And so I was, you know, but it's part of a bigger picture, right? Which is that in the NFL, if you're in NFL, the fraternity of NFL players, right? So if I were an NFL player, I would look at how other, we have an incredible number of people that were really good, and so we're trying to embrace them all, but Sean Taylor in particular."
*On how being a lifelong fan has motivated the improvements he has made as an owner: *"Massively. Some of my earliest memories were of Washington Football, and walking into RFK and I actually heard the stadium move. I was there, I lived through all that, right? So, I was there when we drafted Darrell Green, And Art Monk, and Joe Gibbs came in and went 0-6, and Billy Kimber and Sonny Jurgensen. I was there for all that. So, I'm incredibly motivated to bring it back. And, I think what I said earlier was that when, I've obviously invested in a lot of sports assets, but when I first walked into Commander Stadium, I definitely was more emotional. And so this is emotional for me. You know, it's not just business. It's about the city, the franchise, the fans, and doing what's right to bring the team back to where it needs to be."
*On if there are other sports organizations that represent best-in-class practices for upgrades: *"Yeah, so every time we go to an NFL stadium or a new NBA stadium or a new, you know, went to Tottenham Stadium, which is, both obviously a Premier League club and European Football Club, but also host NFL Games. We are looking at everything that's going on there. And so, I can assure you that when we build our new home, we will be availing ourself of all the modern things that are going on. For example, I visited SoFi [Stadium]. I make it my own business to walk around with the ownership group or with the COO or with the facilities manager and hear everything that's going on, whether it be where the [Los Angeles] Clippers are playing, which is new, whether it's SoFi, whether it's the New Vegas stadium, even the Premier League Club stadiums, and so there's a lot of knowledge out there. This is an area of a lot of technology in terms of premium. It's constantly changing in terms of wifi and electronics and how to emphasize the game. And so we have a lot of decisions to make, and I can assure you that we're gonna be really, try to be as thoughtful as we can about it. And of course, we're gonna look at everything that's out there."
*On his expectations for the team this season and on what a successful season looks like: *"Yeah, so I'm focused on our long-term goals, which is I want to be elite and playing deep into the playoffs or competing for Super Bowls. Season-in and season-out. And I'm focused on building, and I think this will be a better season than last year across the board. Obviously, the identity that Dan [Quinn] and [General Manager] Adam [Peters] have been talking about of the team is front and center in terms of us being competitive, of being punishing of competing at the end. And obviously the record was dismal last year, and we better be better than that. But really, I think this is going to be a way better season for all of those things. And a lot of the intangibles, Jayden continue developing hopefully into what we think and all hope that and know that he can be. And lot of intangibles and then you should see improvement across the board on everything. I've learned a long time ago in sports, not to make like bold predictions, so I will not. This is sports, and I'll leave that to the betters in Vegas and other things, people who are make better at making predictions than I am. But for sure, we're all going to have a much [more fun] time."
On finding difference makers for the team:
"Yeah, look, I think when you have a difference maker, ultimately, you're going to see improvement in the team. Obviously, each sport's different. Certainly, in the other sports if you have a league MVP on your roster, you're going to be pretty good. I think in the case of some of the other franchises, we're really now at the point where we're trying to win championships. And our regular season is less important to us. I think here we're a little earlier than that, but I think certainly if Jayden turns into what we all think he can be, that is the key position in the NFL and obviously he'll move us forward."
On his interactions with Daniels:
"Yeah, he's, he's great. He is down to earth, humble, committed, very genuine. So easy to be around. I really can't say enough good things about Jayden, and obviously I think works well with his teammates, with me, with Dan, and just has an easy way about him and really, really communicates with everyone. I think that he seems unique and all these difference makers, and you asked me about others, but they're unique, right? They're ends of one. And Jayden has a lot of potential to be one of those."
On the potential of hosting an NFL Draft in Washington, D.C.:
"Yeah, I think we're going to get that done. We're talking to the league about it. It's a question of timing, and it's going to be a few years off. They plan away in advance. Listen, think about the idea of having, and I'm not breaking news here because it's not done yet, but think about a draft on the mall and how exciting that would be for the city of Washington for the NFL. So, everyone sees that. And obviously there's a lot of complexity to it with the park service, and I'm lifting the covers a little but there's things that need to get done, but I think that I believe that it will happen. And it's a question of when. So, yeah it'll be great. It'd be super fun to do that here, and I think great for the country as well, and great for the NFL."
*On if he and Quinn have a preference of keeping training camp in Ashburn versus going on the road: *"Yeah, look I think that Dan's preference is to be away from the training ground, get away, come together. I think as you're aware, there's some things that we're working on, but I think that you can do that in lots of different ways. You can do it at a permanent home, you can do that on a season in, season out basis. We have some options, but I think that's his preference. It makes sense to me."
*On if he operates differently as an owner sport to sport: *" Yeah, I'm pretty focused on the Commanders and the NBA. And I have partners that I work with on the other sports. Look, I think the fundamentals are the same, which is you hire the best talent, you hire the best coach, the best GM and they hire coaches underneath them. And then you hold them accountable, you ask lots of questions, you make sure you're super knowledgeable and they're communicating with you, but then you let them do their jobs, right? My approach as an owner is to do it that way. I don't want to be controlling roster decisions. Obviously, my job is to keep it on the road, right? If I think someone's doing something that really doesn't make sense, I'm not going to do it. But by and large, that's their job. And just because I'm a great business person, I built a big company doesn't mean that I'm going to be better than Adam Peters at picking a roster. I defer but hold people accountable for their decisions. And so I think that that really is the same across sports. Obviously, there's lots of nuances between the different sports. There's different CBAs, different sports have hard caps, not hard gaps. Certainly the number of players in the NBA is much smaller and there's lots of nuances we go into, but by and large, that sort of approach is what I follow across sports."
On the team's name not being a priority right now and on if there is data to support the name resonating with fans:
"No, it does matter. I just think that we've been very clear, for obvious reasons the old name can't come back. But right now we're focused on things that unify the team around our football team. And unify the city around our football team. The first objective is we got to start winning football games. We need everyone supporting the team and not things that might drive people apart. Secondly, we're trying to find a new home. And again, unifying the city around that is important. And the name is one of those things that, a lot of opinions. But I've certainly not forgotten. Like I said, I grew up here. Okay, so I understand it. And we're going to start to do things that bring us back to our heritage, honoring our past. You saw the gold pants. Those are easy things to do. So, we are doing research and we're thinking about it, but like right now we're prioritizing the things that we've talked about and that's kind of the rationale for it."
On if he feels the fanbase is more alive compared to past years:
"Totally. First of all, thank you to the fans. I think we've sold more tickets than we had all last year today. And I've been out in the community a lot and I've been speaking to people and literally people cry when they talk about Washington football and the memories that they had. And it's still there. It was like a little bit sleeping, a little bit dormant. There are so many stories that I get told or texted about or any number of ways communicated to where, 'Okay, I just spoke to my neighbor and they just bought season tickets again, because they like what you all are doing. That's across the DMV. Our job is to keep delivering for the fan base, keep creating that excitement, keep doing things in a first-class way, keep inviting people and to help us make this happen for the DMV and obviously supporting the players, supporting the football team. I do think it's coming back and I do think that it never went away, but it got lost for a little while."
On what he hopes fans feel when entering Commanders Field:
"Yeah, I just hope they feel comfortable. What I say to our staff is that everyone can affect how a fan feels when they come in. So, if the parking person yells at you, or if your food is cold, or if someone is surly or the elevator doesn't work. All these things affect fan experience, and so I want people to feel comfortable here. And I think importantly, to feel part of a community. We're all part of a community. We're the community that wants the Commanders to win. When the Commanders are successful on the field, we're the people that are at the stadium and the people that are watching on TV, the DMV at large, we're all coming together. That's what sports does. All those things are part of it. I also, I want feedback. I know you've been telling us what you want, but keep talking to us and we're listening."
