March 5, 2026, 6:20 a.m. ET
The Washington Commanders are in a much better position now than they were a few seasons ago.
Under the previous ownership group, the product on the field was poor, and there was a general unhappiness surrounding the franchise. However, Josh Harris purchased the team in 2023, and things have been on the upswing since.
The Commanders made it to the NFC Championship Game in 2024, have a star quarterback in Jayden Daniels, and are soon getting a new stadium. As a result, fans are happy with Harris, and it turns out, the players are too.
The NFLPA releases an annual report card for each NFL team. Due to a lawsuit by the NFL, the report cards weren’t officially released this year, but they still managed to leak anyway. One of the categories that players grade their franchises on is ownership, and Harris finds himself at the top of the list.
According to John Breech of CBS Sports, Harris was one of just three owners to receive an A+ grade. The other two are the Walton-Penner family (Denver Broncos) and the Wilf family (Minnesota Vikings).
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“The last two NFL teams to be sold were the Broncos (August 2022) and Commanders (July 2023) and the two new ownership groups have clearly set a high bar,” Breech explained. “The two teams have been successful both on and off the field with the Commanders reaching the NFC title game in 2024 while the Broncos got to the AFC title game in 2025. The group that ends up buying the Seahawks are going to have a lot of pressure on them to live up to the standard what Washington and Denver have set.”
It’s a positive sign that Harris earned such a solid grade even after a disappointing season on the field for the Commanders in 2025. It just goes to show that there is still a ton of belief in the vision going forward.
Players pay attention to these grades, so it can only help Washington. Under the previous regime, the team had a reputation as one of the most toxic franchises in the league. Now, it’s a franchise on the upswing with competent people in charge.