Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder has been a lightning rod for controversy recently. Yet, he has avoided major disciplinary actions from the league. But that could all change, as sentiments surrounding his ownership of the Commanders has “shifted significantly” among other NFL owners, according to the Washington Post.
Snyder and the Commanders have been investigated by the NFL for sexual and workplace misconduct twice since 2020, including an ongoing investigation conducted by Mary Jo White. There’s also an open investigation by the House Oversight Committee.
Additional investigations may form for “financial improprieties” conducted by the Commanders. As a result, Snyder has struggled to secure public funding for a new stadium.
As the league awaits White’s findings and the conclusion of Congress’s investigation, multiple owners expressed there could be “serious consideration” for getting Snyder to voluntarily sell the team or forcing him out as owner to a vote.
“He needs to sell,” one owner told the Post. “Some of us need to go to him and tell him that he needs to sell.”
The league needs at least 24 of the 32 owners to vote for forcing Snyder out as Commanders owner.
“I think there will be a movement,” the same owner said. “We need to get 24 votes.”
Other owners expressed similar notions to the Post. However, the thought of pushing Snyder out is not unanimous.
A third owner said recently that a move to oust Snyder would be surprising, adding that the franchise currently is more stable than it has been at other points of Snyder’s ownership. A fourth owner said this week he doesn’t know enough about “the process” and is unsure whether other owners will convince Snyder to sell or vote to compel a sale. That owner added he has insufficient information about the situation, in part because White’s investigation remains ongoing.
Snyder’s biggest ally is Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Jones has a great deal of say in league decisions, and he could easily convince enough owners to vote in favor of nixing any plan of ousting Snyder. Other owners may want to avoid setting a precedent that could be used against them in the future.
Focus has shifted back to Snyder’s status as an owner following the situation with NBA owner Robert Sarver. Sarver announced this week he’s starting the process to sell the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury after the conclusion of an investigation into Sarver using racial slurs and work misconduct against female employees.
Sarver had been suspended for the upcoming 2022-23 NBA season and fined $10 million. But the NBA’s initial ruling got met with an outcry of criticism from other NBA players, such as LeBron James and Chris Paul, who plays for the Suns, as well as media, fans, and sponsors.
Last year, the NFL fined the Commanders’ organization $10 million while Syder stepped away from day-to-day operations of the team following the results of an initial investigation by high-powered attorney Beth Wilkerson.
The team also reshaped its organization, including hiring the NFL’s first Black team president, Jason Wright. However, the league’s reluctance to publicly release the results sparked the House Oversight Committee’s probe. During Congress’s probe, new allegations of sexual misconduct emerged directly implicating Snyder, prompting a second NFL investigation.
The results of the ongoing investigations could be the tipping point for other NFL owners to feel the urge to push Snyder out the door.
