Washington Commanders

The Only Question for Washington at the NFL Combine Is About Dan Snyder

After three days at the NFL Scouting Combine one thing became crystal clear: The only national interest in the Commanders is about an ownership change.

Sure, one year after the woeful trade to acquire Carson Wentz, there’s some rudimentary attention spent on Washington’s quarterback choices. The national football cognoscenti seems unsure of Ron Rivera’s affection for second-year passer Sam Howell.

Speak with enough Commanders staff on and off-record, and it’s clear Howell has a very real chance to emerge as the starting quarterback in September.

"He's got a tremendous skillset. Got a good arm, the kind of arm that you do look for. That's one of the things and again, he's not our starter. He's coming in as a QB one. He'll get a great opportunity to be our starter," Rivera said of Howell this week.

News4's JP Finlay spoke with ESPN's Don Van Natta, who reported Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder fraudulently secured a $55 million loan and used team funds for personal use.

The bigger issue surrounding the Commanders? One theme dominated: Ownership. Will Dan Snyder sell? Will he be forced to sell? When will he sell?

Nobody knows those answers, though it sure seems like the walls are closing in on Washington's embattled owner.

And coaches and staff can act like it’s not hovering on the team, but it is. It just is.

"There's been a lot of noise, as you may have noticed over the last couple of years," Commanders General Manager Martin Mayhew said of the Snyder situation. "At first, you start to pay attention. After a while, you get a little callous to it."

Take Wednesday’s news of the Commanders landing in absolute dead last place across the NFL in an NFLPA survey of players working conditions.

Thirty-two out of 32. Dead last. Washington did not just get failing grades, the Commanders got multiple F- grades on their report card.

An F-?

Plenty of bad college students were unaware an F- was even possible. Myself included.

And that’s not a reflection on Rivera. It’s not a reflection on Mayhew. It has nothing to do with Howell or any current or past player.

That has everything to do with owner Dan Snyder.

And that’s all anybody wants to talk about. Will he actually sell? Will he keep fighting? Does he have any other option?

The NFL descends on Indianapolis every year to watch college prospects and figure out what pro teams most need their talents. There’s also plenty of discussion about free agency plans and maybe even a dash of coaching and front office changes.

When it comes to Washington, there’s only question.

When will Snyder go?

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