Washington Commanders

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform is urging Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder to reconsider his decision to not testify or appear at its hearing June 22.

"Mr. Snyder’s refusal to testify at the June 22 hearing would be inconsistent with his repeated commitments to cooperate with the Committee and cast doubt on your assertion that the Commanders are now 'a model of how to make extraordinary improvements in workplace culture,'" Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney said in a letter to Snyder's attorney, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.

Both Snyder and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell were asked to appear at the hearing to answer questions about the Commanders' toxic workplace environment and the league's investigation of the matter.

Snyder has until Monday at 9 a.m. ET to inform the committee if he intends to attend the hearing, according to Jhabvala. The committee intends to move forward with the hearing on its scheduled date with or without him.

Snyder's attorney, Karen Patton Seymour, wrote to the committee earlier this month stating the Washington owner would be traveling out of the country because he had "a longstanding Commanders-related business conflict" to attend to and wouldn't be available to appear June 22 but that he "remains willing to cooperate with the committee" during its investigation of the franchise.

However, the letter from the committee states that it "has offered to accommodate Mr. Snyder’s plans to attend an awards ceremony in France by permitting him to appear remotely":

Mr. Snyder has not identified any scheduling challenges that would prevent him from testifying before the Committee while out of the country. Nor has Mr. Snyder asserted that he is unable to return to the United States prior to the hearing, should he prefer to testify in person.

Mr. Snyder is no different than any other witness whose testimony the Committee seeks as part of an important investigation. Any suggestion that the Committee has treated Mr. Snyder unfairly is unfounded, especially given that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has agreed to testify voluntarily at the same hearing.

The committee's latest letter to Snyder comes after the attorneys for more than 40 former Commanders employees alleging harassment and sexual misconduct called for the committee to "issue a subpoena to compel Mr. Snyder to appear" because "he is not above the law."

The Oversight Committee has been investigating Snyder, the Commanders toxic workplace culture, and the league's handling of the matter, since October. It is also investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against Snyder.

The NFL fined the Commanders $10 million after conducting its own investigation into the team's workplace environment. Snyder's wife, Tanya Snyder, then took over the franchise's day-to-day operations.

In addition to the toxic workplace and sexual misconduct allegations, the Commanders are being investigated by the Virginia attorney general's office for financial improprieties. The franchise allegedly withheld security deposits from season-ticket holders and had two accounting books to avoid sending money to the NFL's revenue-sharing pool.

Amid all of this, the team reportedly purchased around 200 acres of land in Virginia for more than $100 million to be used as a potential site for a new stadium. They plan to build a 60,000-seat stadium on the land in addition to retail shops, restaurants, bars and the team's practice facility.

The Commanders are slated to begin the 2022 season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 11 at FedEx Field.

The NFL continues to crack down on physical offseason practices, handing out fines to the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders, ESPN's Dan Graziano.

Texans coach Lovie Smith was reportedly fined $50,000 because of prohibited 1-on-1 OL vs. DL drills.

Commanders coach Ron Rivera was fined $100,000 because of excessive contact in practice drills. The team also loses two OTA practices in 2023 as a result of the infraction.

The news comes after Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy was docked $100,000 for physical practices, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. The Cowboys will also lose a practice next year.

Earlier this month, the Chicago Bears were forced to cancel a practice after having live contact during their May organized team activities.

The collective bargaining agreement ratified in 2020 featured strict language on practice procedure, notably limiting the amount of padded practices during training camp while removing all padded practices during the regular season.

While coaches want to prepare their players for the season, the changes could help reduce practice-field injuries.

Smith is heading into his first season as the Texans' head coach after serving as the team's defensive coordinator last year. He last led an NFL team in 2015, spending five years at the college level coaching Illinois before joining the Texans.

Rivera is heading into his 12th straight year as a head coach, including his third in Washington. The former Carolina Panthers coach is 14-19 in two years at his current stop.

The Washington Commanders are reportedly amplifying their efforts to sign wide receiver Terry McLaurin to a long-term contract extension before training camp next month.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the update on McLaurin—who skipped the team's mandatory minicamp this week—Thursday on Get Up, saying the Commanders "value this guy in a big way."

"I'm told that Washington has intensified their efforts to try to get a long-term deal done with him," Fowler said. "He sat out minicamp. That sort of sparked more talks. They've sort of been upping their proposals. ... Nothing imminent yet, but this could get done even this week. Definitely before training camp is Washington's plan."

Washington selected McLaurin out of Ohio State in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft, and he's far exceeded that draft position with three years of strong production.

The 26-year-old Indianapolis native has recorded 222 catches for 3,090 yards and 16 touchdowns in 46 regular-season appearances. He received a solid 78.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus for the 2021 campaign.

He's scheduled to enter the final season of his four-year rookie contract and will earn $2.79 million, which ranks tied for 61st among wideouts, per Spotrac.

In January, McLaurin told Ben Standig of The Athletic he expected to remain in Washington for the 2022 season but offered no assurances beyond that.

"We just have to see what the future holds," McLaurin said. "I'm proud of the way I conducted myself, and looking forward to seeing what's next."

Boardroom's Jordan Schultz reported in March the Commanders star was seeking "bona fide No. 1 receiver money" in talks with the organization.

That likely equates to a contract with an average value of around $20 million, which would allow him to crack the top 10 at the position.

Getting McLaurin back with the team before training camp is crucial for Washington as new quarterback Carson Wentz tries to get up to full speed with his receiving group, which also includes Curtis Samuel and 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson.

Add in running backs Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic and tight end Logan Thomas, who's working to recover from a torn ACL in time for Week 1, and the Commanders have some potential on offense heading into the new season.

That outlook would take a significant hit if McLaurin's holdout continues into the regular season.

Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder has declined a request to appear at a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing to discuss the NFL franchise's workplace misconduct.

Axios' Hans Nichols reported Wednesday that Karen Patton Seymour, an attorney for Snyder, wrote in a letter to the committee that his legal team has concerns about due process.

"Although Mr. Snyder remains willing to cooperate with the Committee—as he has done in the past— for the reasons set forth below, he is unable to accept the Committee's invitation to testify at the scheduled hearing," Seymour wrote in the four-page letter.

While Snyder declined the invitation, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will hear at the hearing virtually, per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio.

In July 2021, the NFL fined the Washington organization $10 million following an independent review by Washington, D.C.-based lawyer Beth Wilkinson.

Goodell said the investigation found the franchise operated in a "highly unprofessional" manner, both in general and particularly toward women, within a workplace that saw bullying, intimidation and multiple allegations of sexual harassment.

Questions were raised about why a written report detailing the results of the investigation was never released publicly.

In October, former employees of the NFL team delivered a letter to the league's Social Justice Committee seeking information from the review be released to the public, per ESPN's Seth Wickersham:

While your working group was formed to address issues of racial justice in the league, you also have the ability to seek justice for the hundreds of women and men, such as us, who bravely came forward to share stories of harassment and abuse we experienced while employees of the [Washington Football Team]. The NFL should not be allowed to encourage employees to come forward at great personal and professional risk to speak to investigators, only to sweep the results of that investigation under the rug.

Goodell said the league couldn't release the results because it promised employees to protect the information provided during the probe.

Lisa Banks, an attorney who represents 40 former Commanders employees, described the idea her clients wanted anonymity as "false."

In April, the House Oversight and Reform Committee alleged Snyder's NFL franchise may have also engaged in a "potentially unlawful pattern of financial conduct" that included withholding deposits from season-ticket holders and hiding money that was ticketed for the league's revenue-sharing system, per Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.

Members of the Committee sent a letter June 1 requesting Snyder and Goodell appear at a June 22 hearing about the group's investigation into the franchise.

"Since we launched our investigation in October, the Committee's goal has been to uncover the truth about the culture of harassment and abuse at the Washington Commanders, to hold accountable those responsible, and to better protect workers across the country," chairperson Carolyn Maloney said in a statement.

She added those efforts have been "met with obstruction from the Commanders and the NFL at every turn."

Goodell hasn't confirmed whether he'll appear at the hearing, but Jarrett Bell of USA Today reported Tuesday it "appears likely" the commissioner will testify.

Meanwhile, Washington's selection of Commanders as its new nickname in February ended a two-year rebranding process after Snyder succumbed to pressure to alter the moniker from the previous one which was a slur for Indigenous people. He'd long stated the prior name would "never change."

Snyder, a 57-year-old Maryland native, has owned the franchise since 1999. The team has never advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs during his tenure.

As the Washington Commanders go through mandatory minicamp without Terry McLaurin amid a contract dispute, they have no intention of trading the star wide receiver.

Head coach Ron Rivera told reporters Wednesday the team is "not trading" McLaurin and "it's just a matter of time" before the two sides get a new deal done.

Per NFL.com's Kevin Patra, McLaurin could be fined up to $93,085 for missing all three days of mandatory minicamp this week.

Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew told reporters during the NFL Scouting Combine in March that he was going to meet with McLaurin's agent.

The Athletic's Ben Standig reported Monday that talks between the Commanders and McLaurin's camp have "netted scant progress" thus far.

It's unclear what McLaurin is seeking from a new deal, but Standig cited league sources who project he can get a contract "north of $22 million" per season.

This has been a huge offseason for wide receiver contracts. Of the 11 wideouts signed to contracts worth at least $20 million annually, seven of them have agreed to those deals this offseason.

Three of the four highest-paid receivers by average annual salary signed their contracts this offseason (Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp).

McLaurin is entering the final season of his rookie contract. The 26-year-old is set to earn $2.79 million in 2022, per Spotrac.

A third-round draft pick in 2019, McLaurin has established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He has averaged 1,030 yards and 5.3 touchdowns per season in 46 starts over the past three campaigns.

The Commanders are looking to rebound after a disappointing 7-10 record in 2021. They acquired Carson Wentz from the Indianapolis Colts with the hope he will provide better quarterback play.

McLaurin is Washington's best offensive player, and his presence is essential if the franchise wants to contend for a playoff spot this season.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio made an apology during a team meeting Tuesday for his comments describing the January 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol as a "dustup."

"Jack spoke to the team this morning during the team meeting and was very open and contrite and apologized and was open to questions," Rivera told reporters. "He said, 'Guys, if you have any questions, come see me and let's talk about that.' It was good. I'm about reconciliation."

Rivera previously fined Del Rio $100,000 for his remarks.

Del Rio, a former head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders, has served as the Commanders defensive coordinator since 2020.

The 59-year-old California native made a comparison on Twitter last week between the protests following the death of George Floyd and the Capitol insurrection, which he later defended in a press conference.

"People's livelihoods are being destroyed, businesses are being burned down, no problem," Del Rio told reporters. "And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we're going to make that a major deal. I just think it's kind of two standards."

He's since deleted his Twitter account.

Rivera explained Tuesday the fine was based on the impact Del Rio's comments had on the organization and not a punishment for the coach taking a stance and using his First Amendment rights.

"This is not about the fact he exercised his right to free speech," Rivera said. "This is about what impacted this football team. I believe in the First Amendment very strongly. It's a very serious question and topic, but at the end of the day, it did impact us. That's why I did what I did."

In his third year as Washington's head coach, Rivera also confirmed he's met with Del Rio twice since the original comments. He denied there was any talk of the assistant being "one strike" away from being fired but declined to provide any further specifics.

"This was not communicated any other way other than Jack and I had a conversation that will remain between the two of us," Rivera said.

The Commanders are set to hold a mandatory minicamp Tuesday through Thursday.

The Washington Commanders are embroiled in a contract dispute that could potentially derail their 2022 season before it even gets off the ground.

Star wide receiver Terry McLaurin did not report to mandatory minicamp on Monday, which could mark the first step in an extended holdout.

McLaurin is reportedly unhappy with how his contract negotiations have gone. On Sunday, the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala reported the two sides "are still far apart" on an extension, so McLaurin is currently training in Florida rather than with teammates in Ashburn, Virginia.

The fourth-year wideout recently became eligible for an extension as a member of the 2019 draft class. McLaurin has exceeded expectations since coming into the league as a third-round pick and is now seeking both long-term security and a pay increase over the $2.79 million base salary that he is slated to make in the final year of his rookie deal.

The No. 76 overall pick in 2019 has racked up an impressive 3,090 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 222 receptions over the last three seasons despite Washington's unstable quarterback situation.

McLaurin has played with eight different starting signal-callers since entering the league. That number will increase to nine with Carson Wentz set to take the reins in 2022 after coming to Washington in a trade back in March.

Wentz said he's spoken with McLaurin a bunch this offseason, according to The Athletic’s Ben Standig, and they've participated in workouts together as well. The quarterback is confident that his top weapon will be ready for the upcoming campaign, but their chemistry won’t benefit from an extended holdout.

Getting a rapport established between McLaurin and Wentz should be near the top of Washington’s to-do list during training camp. The wideout is a foundational piece of this offense, and he will be instrumental in keeping the Commanders competitive in a tough NFC East race.

While Washington did add another playmaker by drafting Penn State wideout Jahan Dotson at No. 16 overall during this year's draft, McLaurin is still the unquestioned No. 1 option in Washington. He should remain as such if he’s on the field in 2022.

As one of the Commanders' few reliable weapons outside of running back Antonio Gibson, the 26-year-old is in line for even more targets after amassing 264 in the last two seasons alone.

No Commanders wideout outside of McLaurin drew more than 71 total targets between the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Running back J.D. McKissic was the only other player to eclipse the 150-target mark in that span.

Getting an extension worked out could prevent a rift between the club and its rising superstar. The organization is intimately familiar with how quickly things can go south when a player skips mandatory minicamp.

Albert Haynesworth (2010) and Trent Williams (2019) have been the only two Washington players to miss mandatory minicamp over the last 12 years, according to Al Galdi of the Al Galdi Podcast. The Commanders traded both players within a year of their holdouts.

Haynesworth’s deteriorating relationship with the organization was on full display leading up to the 2010 season. Although he did eventually report after protesting Washington’s conversion to a 3-4 scheme, the defensive tackle had a career-worst campaign and was subsequently dealt to the New England Patriots the following offseason.

Williams’ situation was arguably even more untenable. The franchise left tackle began holding out in early June 2019 and demanded a trade following a disagreement with the Washington medical staff’s handling of a cancerous growth on his head. Williams never suited up in 2019 due to scalp discomfort and was eventually traded to the San Francisco 49ers in April 2020.

The Commanders should keep these disputes in mind while doing everything in their power to avoid another one with McLaurin.

Washington technically holds the cards in terms of keeping McLaurin on the roster. The team can even go as far as franchise-tagging him in both 2023 and 2024 if it doesn't work out a deal with him before then. But agreeing to a long-term contract would be the best move for both sides.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed that McLaurin is seeking a comparable deal to the ones that other high-end wideouts have signed recently. Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, Chris Godwin, Mike Williams, Christian Kirk, Hunter Renfrow and Allen Robinson II have all received new contracts worth at least $15 million annually this offseason.

A.J. Brown became the first wideout from the 2019 class to get a new deal, coming to terms on a four-year, $100 million contract with Philadelphia Eagles after the Tennessee Titans traded him during the 2022 NFL draft.

Brown’s deal should be a starting point for the one Washington eventually offers McLaurin. While Brown went 25 picks ahead of McLaurin in the draft, the Commanders wideout has surpassed his Eagles counterpart in games played (46 vs. 43), offensive snaps (2,723 vs. 2,042), receptions (222 vs. 185) and receiving yardage (3,090 vs. 2,995).

McLaurin has been a consistent and reliable wideout, proving equally if not more deserving than Brown to earn top-five money at his position. The Commanders should get an extension done for him before this holdout negatively impacts their 2022 season.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is reportedly "unlikely" to report for the team's minicamp, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.

McLaurin, 26, is entering his fourth NFL season and will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2022 campaign.

McLaurin has been Washington's most dangerous playmaker in the past three season, catching 222 passes for 3,090 yards and 16 touchdowns in that time. That's been an excellent average of 74 catches for 1,030 yards and 5.3 touchdowns per season.

He's also watched as some of the other receivers from his draft class have signed major extensions this offseason:

• A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles: Four years, $100 million
• Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders: Two years, $32 million

Others, like Marquise Brown, are expected to sign extensions. Deebo Samuel reportedly requested a trade this offseason but has since reported to the San Francisco 49ers' mandatory minicamp, though that situation deserves monitoring.

And DK Metcalf has taken a similar approach to McLaurin, staying away from minicamp as he seeks a lucrative long-term extension.

A number of deals transformed the wideout market this offseason. Tyreek Hill (four years, $120 million), Davante Adams (five years, $140 million) and Brown received massive extensions after being traded to new teams. The champion Los Angeles Rams gave Cooper Kupp a three-year, $80 million extension, while the Buffalo Bills agreed with Stefon Diggs on a four-year, $104 million extension.

While the top of the market exploded, the Jacksonville Jaguars also stunned everyone when they signed Christian Kirk to a four-year, $72 million deal in free agency. Kirk had a strong season for the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, catching 77 passes for 982 yards and five touchdowns, but his deal was still widely viewed as an overpay, even at an important position like wideout.

Kirk's deal will raise the floor on what productive receivers like McLaurin expect, while Brown's $25-million-per-year deal raised the contract ceiling for the other players in his draft class.

McLaurin will make the argument that he's arguably been more productive to this point than Brown, with more receptions and receiving yards. The Commanders will argue that Brown has eight more touchdowns than McLaurin in three less games over the past three seasons and has been a Pro Bowler, an honor McLaurin has yet to achieve.

It would behoove both sides to get a deal done. But for now, McLaurin reportedly will be staying away from the team while they work out the kinks.

Amid a string of controversies over comments he has made on social media, Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is no longer on Twitter.

Per ESPN's John Keim, Del Rio deleted his account on Saturday.

Keim noted the Commanders had no comment on the decision, and Del Rio did not immediately respond to a text message.

Del Rio generated controversy on the social media platform on Monday when he attempted to compare the Jan. 6 Capitol riots to the 2020 protests in response to Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdering George Floyd.

"Would love to understand 'the whole story' about why the summer of riots, looting, burning and the destruction of personal property is never discussed but this is??? #CommonSense," Del Rio tweeted.

Del Rio's Twitter comment led to a chain reaction of moments over the course of the next five days.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday about the tweet, Del Rio referred to the Capitol insurrection as a "dustup" and defended himself by saying he was asking "a simple question."

"Why are we not looking into those things if we're gonna talk about [January 6], why are we not looking into those things? Because it's kind of hard for me to say—I can realistically look at it. I see the images on TV. People's livelihoods are being destroyed," he said. "Businesses are being burned down. No problem. And then we have a dustup at the Capitol. Nothing burned down. And we're not gonna talk about—we're gonna make that a major deal."

Del Rio issued an apology statement later on Wednesday, noting he stands "by my comments condemning violence in communities across the country."

"I say that while also expressing my support as an American citizen for peaceful protest in our country," he added. "I have fully supported all peaceful protests in America. I love, respect, and support all my fellow coaches, players, and staff that I work with and respect their views and opinions."

Washington head coach Ron Rivera announced a $100,000 fine for Del Rio, with the money being donated to the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund.

Del Rio previously caused a stir on Twitter in June 2020 when he posted a quote tweet that had a fabricated picture of New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He later went on to voice his support for former President Donald Trump and told anyone who disagreed with him to "kiss my A$$."