Joe Gibbs Backs Harris in the NFL Franchise Purchase

NFL owners approved the sale of the Washington Commanders to a group led by private equity investor Josh Harris for a record $6.05 billion — the highest price ever paid for a professional sports franchise at that time. Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs, who won four Super Bowls with the franchise, publicly endorsed the Harris group and expressed enthusiasm about the new direction.

Gibbs released a statement saying he had gotten to know Josh Harris during the sale process and fully supported his efforts. His backing was seen as a powerful symbolic endorsement from the most revered figure in the franchise's history. Washington fans and NFL observers interpreted Gibbs's support as a signal that the new ownership was serious about reconnecting with the franchise's storied alumni and rebuilding relationships with a fanbase disillusioned by years of off-field scandals.

Harris paid $6.05 billion for a franchise whose value now rides on a building. The D.C. Council passed the RFK site deal 11 to 2 on September 17, 2025: a $3.7 billion, 65,000 seat domed stadium, $2.7 billion from the team and roughly $1.1 billion from the city, opening in 2030, per WTOP. Taxpayers carry the public share, and Native American groups are fighting Trump's July 2025 push to restore the old name. On the field, the 2024 NFC title game run collapsed into a 5 and 12 season in which Jayden Daniels played only four full games, per ESPN. The rebuild gets its first test at Philadelphia on September 13.