The Washington Commanders began a new era on Sunday. However, it began with a very similar feel to the past as three ugly brown spots ruined the aesthetic of the field at Northwest Stadium.
Team officials offered an explanation but did not expand on whether the turf would impact play.
Josh Harris purchased the Commanders from Dan Snyder in 2023. He vowed to use last season as a barometer on what needed to change and made some major decisions during his first full offseason at the helm of the NFL organization.
Not only did Washington replace Ron Rivera as head coach, it drafted its franchise quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick. In addition, the stadium formally known as FedEx Field was rebranded as Northwest Stadium after Northwest Federal Credit Union purchased naming rights for an estimated $8+ million.
Their investment did not change an unfortunate tradition of poor conditions.
The Washington Commanders’ field was not ready for their season-opener.
FedEx Field was considered to be one of the worst stadiums in the league, if not the worst stadium in the league. In recent memory, seven players have been seriously injured while playing in Maryland. Literal sewage water used to leak onto fans in the crowd. The stands nearly collapsed onto Jalen Hurts in 2022 and the Eagles’ quarterback came within inches of serious injury.
Even though the Commanders turned a new page, their home opener was still marred by their field. A trio of grass stains created poor optics.
Home opener for Commanders.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) September 15, 2024
These spots can’t be good https://t.co/uSJZRa5s7m pic.twitter.com/vcCZ18Wo4W
They were caused by an irrigation issue in recent weeks.
The marks or spots on the field pictured below..
— Chris Russell AKA the 🐓🐓! (@Russellmania621) September 15, 2024
Per a #Commanders spokerperson: Three irrigation heads recently malfunctioned and required repair, thus altering the aesthetics of field in those areas. @NWStadium @team980 pic.twitter.com/466cboXlc1
It was/is not a good look.
There are three brown spots on the field at Northwest Stadium. A Commanders spokesperson said three irrigation heads recently malfunctioned and required repair, altering the aesthetics of field in those areas. pic.twitter.com/rP5Qx06hPH
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 15, 2024
Washington did not expand further about the spots or whether they will be cause for concern when play reached those three specific portions of the gridiron. One would have to assume that it can’t help…
Either way, the field is dealing with cosmetic issues before the season gets underway and that’s unfortunate. A stadium with a history of calamity is once again off to a rough start.