The home of the Washington Commanders may have a new name and millions of dollars worth of upgrades, but issues still exist with the aging stadium. Ahead of the Commanders’ home opener against the New York Giants, the field is damaged. Brown spots are visible throughout the playing surface of Northwest Stadium.
According to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, three irrigation heads recently malfunctioned and required repair, altering the aesthetics of the field in those areas.
It will be interesting to see if the damage will affect the players’ footing in Sunday’s game.
The Commanders’ stadium — opened in 1997 as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium — has had several issues recently. Multiple fans were injured at then-named FedEx Field after a game against the Philadelphia Eagles when a railing broke in 2022.
In 2021, a pipe broke, dousing fans with water. Fans feared pipes leaked sewage. The team remained steadfast that the leak was water.
The stadium was renamed last month as Northwest Stadium. Northwest Federal Credit Union won the naming rights. New owner Josh Harris has committed $40 million in upgrades, including a “The 1932 Club” suite that costs an annual $7500 per seat.
