The state legislator who has led the charge to lure the Washington Commanders to Virginia gave up the fight Thursday, saying the latest controversy surrounding the team has proved too much to overcome, a substantial setback for the team in its search for a new location for its stadium.
The news came as a group of D.C. legislators declared on Thursday they would not support bringing the team to the city, further muddying prospects for the team’s ultimate location.
State Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said comments that Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio made this week about the Jan. 6 insurrection were the last straw for the stadium bill. Del Rio had called the storming of the U.S. Capitol building a “dust-up” compared to the racial justice protests that followed the death of George Floyd in 2020.
