ASHBURN, Va. — Jason Wright, the first African-American team president in NFL history, will no longer serve in that role and will leave the Washington Commanders after the season, a team spokesman confirmed. He will serve as a senior adviser until his departure.
Wright will continue to focus on securing naming rights for the stadium as well as helping find a new site for it. But a search for a new president will begin immediately, led by majority owner Josh Harris and Tad Brown, the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.
Former owner Dan Snyder hired Wright in August 2020, based largely on the league’s recommendation, according to multiple sources. Washington was embroiled in controversy that summer, from allegations of a toxic workplace culture and sexual harassment allegations to a name change.
Wright was brought in to run the franchise during this period. He was also brought in to try to rebuild the season ticket holder base, which had dwindled considerably over the years under Snyder, as well as find or keep sponsors. Wright also helped lead the name change process, with input from several people, which ultimately settled on Commanders, a name that remains unpopular with the fan base.
Wright was a public face of the franchise at a time when it was embroiled in numerous controversies that occurred prior to his arrival, with investigations by Congress and attorneys general from Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia into the team’s workplace culture as well as its business dealings under Snyder. Since Harris purchased the team in July 2023, Washington has seen an increase in sponsors and season tickets, though FedEx ended its naming rights deal after the season.
According to multiple sources, Wright's contract was set to expire sometime in August. Wright interviewed to be Green Bay's president, CEO and general manager, but did not get the job.
“This is the right time for me to explore my next leadership opportunity,” Wright said in a statement. “I am extremely grateful to my Commanders colleagues, our fans and this community for all we have accomplished these past four years and look forward to the start of a very successful season for the burgundy and gold.”
The Washington organization has undergone a major facelift under Harris. The Commanders' power structure now has a new general manager (Adam Peters), a coach (Dan Quinn) and, soon, a new president who will only handle the business side of things.
Harris and his ownership group spent the past year evaluating the organization in every aspect, leading to numerous changes.
“Jason has made a remarkable impact on the Commanders organization since joining four years ago,” Harris said in a statement. “He took over at a time of immense challenge and has led this organization through an incredible transformation that set the stage for everything to come. I am extremely grateful to Jason for his partnership with me and the rest of the ownership group over the past year. His guidance has been invaluable and his leadership has helped reshape our culture.”
In a statement, Wright said he is proud of what they have accomplished during his time.
“We've led this franchise through a period of immense challenge and uncertainty and turned it around,” he said. “We've set the stage for an incredibly bright future under Josh's leadership. Over the past year alone, we welcomed a record number of fans back into our building, made significant improvements to the fan experience, re-engaged with corporate partners and reconnected with the community. Most importantly, we reestablished a culture of respect in this organization.”
The Washington Post was the first to report the news.
