If you’ve attended a Washington Commanders training camp practice over the years, you’d quickly notice one of the practice fields closest to the team’s facilities: It was artificial turf and rarely used.
That is no more. As reporters descended on Ashburn on Wednesday, all noticed that crews were removing the turf. As JP Finlay of 106.7 The Fan and NBC Sports Washington noted, it was long overdue.
New day in Ashburn indeed – they finally got rid of the 30+ year old astroturf field that the team couldn’t practice on and was the closest field to the facility. This might seem like nothing but it’s at least a decade overdue pic.twitter.com/juc17Wjp8x
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 5, 2024
In recent years, others in the organization wanted the turf field removed, but former owner Daniel Snyder reportedly thought it cost too much.
New owner Josh Harris said in an interview earlier this year that he isn’t an “F-minus guy.” Harris was referring to the NFLPA grades handed out regarding the team’s poor facilities. Harris has committed millions to improving Commanders Field (formerly FedEx Field) and the team’s Ashburn headquarters.
Head coach Dan Quinn praised Harris.
“The good news, the turf field had been here a long time; we didn’t utilize [it],” Quinn said. “Let’s give some props to Josh and to his team for recognizing when things have to change for the betterment of these players and that he’s going to find a way to do that. And that’s his pact to the guys that knowing if there’s a way to dig in to let them know that he’s going to turn over every rock, so to speak, to make this experience as strong as it could be. Man, we are appreciative of that. So, it’ll be another grass field that we’ll have here and hopefully, it’ll be by the end of training camp. That’s the timeline for that going forward.”
Harris continues to stand by his promises to make things better for the players and coaches.
Not only will the Commanders have multiple grass fields, but they also have the indoor practice bubble that was built at the urging of former coach Mike Shanahan. Before Shanahan convinced Snyder to build the bubble, Washington had no way of practicing inside.
Times have certainly changed.
Former Washington player and current analyst Ross Tucker wanted a piece of the field for old times’ sake.
Can I get a piece of that turf for old times sake?
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) June 5, 2024
