Bruce Allen will remain the Washington Redskins president as well has have an expanded role on the business operations.
Through all the #FireBruceAllen social media posts and comments, and a report that Allen was involved with the Redskins’ business, it’s all wishful thinking on the part of the fans. Allen will still be in charge of football operations.
“There was never any question about this,” Redskins senior vice president of communications Tony Wyllie said per Les Carpenter of the Washington Post. “Of course he’s coming back.”
This directly disputes the reported assumptions from some NFL agents that Allen was no longer involved in football operations to concentrate in a new role on the business side. With the firing of four prominent team executives it appeared the report was leaning to be true. But with no official word there was always doubt among the skeptical fans. Now the skepticism proves to be accurate.
Allen has oversaw the Redskins’ football operations since 2009. In that time frame, Washington is 59-84-1, winning two division titles (2012, 2015). Outside of that there has been no other playoff appearances.
As fans clamored for change, nothing is changing, at least not at the top. Jay Gruden is coming back as head coach for 2019 and Allen is still the team president. Now he is tasked with an expanded role with the team’s business side.
It’s a business side that has suffered recently because of the lack of production on the field. A large reason, to many fans is Allen’s presence. Ticket sales have dwindle. This past season, Washington had the largest decline in attendance at 19%, than any other team in the NFL.
It’s season finale, a home game at FedEx Field, was filled with fans of the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. The Redskins players were booed, and a large celebration among the sea of green fans were held at the place the Redskins call home as the Eagles clinched a playoff berth.
Fans throughout social media have campaigned to fire Allen and/or Gruden. Many claiming to no longer cheer or care for the Redskins as long as Allen was still in charge. In the end, he still is, and until owner Dan Snyder deems him unfit for the role.
Back-to-back 7-9 seasons, endless PR drama, and constant mishandling of the quarterback position that’s included Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, and now the unfortunate injury of Alex Smith, who the team acquired in a trade last off-season that cost them a promising cornerback in Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick, has yet to force Snyder to sour on Allen.
That’s not to mention the countless personnel mishandling, how the Redskins presumably fumbled the Scot McCloughan situation, Cousins’ contract situation, and DJ Swearinger’s critical comments of defensive coordinator Greg Manusky among other things.
With Allen returning it appears the Redskins are at a crossroad with its fan base. Majority of the vocal fans are not happy with the direction the team has gone under Allen. And while there are team eyes on the comments of every post #FireBruceAllen, the only person that matters in the situation, Snyder, is content with where the Redskins are as an organization.
