It's a completely new era for the Commanders. With rookie QB Jayden Daniels starring on offense and Dan Quinn excelling in his first year as head coach, the future is bright in the DMV.
However, those two key personnel aren't the only changes with the Washington organization. It's no coincidence that the Commanders' results on the field have improved since new ownership took over two years ago.
It's been a completely fresh look for Washington and its fans since previous owner Dan Snyder was run out of the town. The billionaire was at the helm of the team for over two decades, bringing with him a plethora of scandals, underachievements, and headaches for those rooting for the burgundy and gold.
Snyder sold the team in April 2023 to a new ownership group headlined by 76ers and Devils owner Josh Harris, as well as NBA legend Magic Johnson.
What is Snyder doing now that he is no longer a part of the Commanders? The Sporting News has the answer.
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Where is Dan Snyder now?
There have not been many reports about Snyder's involvement in the post-Commanders ownership era. However, he was involved in financing a movie about the life of Donald Trump.
It was reported in the summer of 2024 that he was a part of the Kinematics group that was financing an upcoming movie called "The Apprentice," a film about Trump's rise to fame in the real estate world. However, Snyder and the Kinematics group sold their interest in the deal, as the former Washington owner was not happy about Trump's portrayal in the flick.
Kinematics claimed its departure was due to "creative differences" with James Shani’s Rich Spirit absorbing the Kinematics' interest.
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Why did Dan Snyder sell the Commanders?
Two massive scandals rocked the Commanders in the 2020s, which forced Snyder to sell the team.
The first was a sexual harassment scandal that was reported by the Washington Post in a series of articles in 2020. In the expose, there were allegations that Snyder and several male executives had created a hostile workplace culture, including sexually harassing and discriminating against women since 2006.
The Post reported that the harassment involved "unwelcome overtures or comments of a sexual nature, and exhortations to wear revealing clothing and flirt with clients to close sales deals."
This was followed up by a report that Washington cheerleaders detailed that the club made a crude video using footage from their "Beauties on the Beach" calendar shoot and documentary in 2008. The report said Larry Michael, who was the team’s lead broadcaster and a senior vice president at the time, had instructed his staff to make the video specifically for Snyder.
According to The Post, "the 10-minute unofficial video featured moments when nipples were inadvertently exposed as the women shifted positions or adjusted props."
ESPN also reported that Snyder signed numerous non-disclosure agreements with several women who were former employees of the team. One included a payout from Snyder of $1.9 million to an employee to settle a sexual misconduct allegation in 2009.
An independent investigation by Washington D.C. lawyer Beth Wilkinson was conducted. After 10 months of digging, she had found that Washington had created "a workplace culture where sexual harassment, bullying, and intimidation were commonplace throughout most of Daniel Snyder’s ownership," according to The Post.
As a result, the Commanders were fined $10 million and Snyder was instructed to stay away from the team short-term.
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The second scandal involved alleged financial improprieties committed by Snyder. These were revealed in a congressional investigation of the sexual harassment claims made against the Washington owner.
ESPN reported that Jason Friedman, a 24-year employee of the organization who was fired in 2020, claimed Washington underreported ticket revenue during his time there. Friedman said the organization "maintained two books — one that was shared with the NFL with the underreported ticket revenue, and another that included the accurate revenue and was shown to owner Dan Snyder."
The team allegedly exploited customers by removing security deposits, or increasing the difficulty to get them back. Friedman said "he was told by Snyder and his former chief operating officer, Mitch Gershman, to find dormant accounts where the likelihood of the customer coming forward and asking for the deposit refund is 'as close to zero as possible.' They would then convert the credit on the customer's account that reflected the security deposit into what they termed 'juice" — or revenue gained by the team through this practice."
To be clear, Snyder did not want to sell the team he grew up rooting for as a kid. However, what he allowed to go on at his company forced the NFL to step in and essentially out him as the owner.
When did Dan Snyder buy the Commanders?
Snyder purchased the Washington football organization in May 1999, along with Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, the home of the club. He was just 34 at the time of the purchase.
The billionaire bought the team for $800 million from John Kent Cooke, the son of longtime owner Jack Kent Cooke, who died in 1997. At that point, it was the largest purchase of a sports franchise in history.
Washington record under Dan Snyder
The Washington organization did not fare well under Snyder's watch. From 1999 to 2023, the club went a gaudy 164-220-2, which is 56 games under .500.
During that span, the team reached the playoffs six times and won only two playoff games (1999 and 2005). After the 2005 win over the Buccaneers in the wild-card round, Washington went 18 consecutive seasons without a playoff win.
Washington NFL record before and after Dan Snyder
In comparison, the Washington organization was excellent under Jack Kent Cooke's watch, the predecessor to Snyder. From 1969 to 1999 (including the last two years in which Cooke's son, John, was in charge of the team), Washington combined for a record of 250-169-3, an impressive 81 games over .500.
With the Cooke family in charge, Washington posted an 18-10 record in the playoffs, including three Super Bowl championships.
In the post-Snyder era, the Commanders have gone 16-18 with one playoff win heading into the divisional round. If Washington defeats Detroit in the 2025 divisional round, it will have matched the playoff win total under Snyder just two years into the Josh Harris ownership era.
How much did Dan Snyder get for the Commanders?
Snyder sold the Commanders to the current ownership group consisting of Josh Harris, Magic Johnson, and owners for $6.05 billion.
It currently is the most expensive sports team purchase in history, breaking the previous record set by the Broncos in 2022 (4.65 billion).