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Afternoon Edition

April 28, 2025

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After 28 years in Maryland, the Commanders announced plans to build a $3.8 billion stadium in Washington, D.C. And at a time when most teams lean on public funding, they did so by committing to cover most of the bill.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], and Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]

Josh Harris Delivers the D.C. Stadium Dan Snyder Couldn’t [[link removed]]

District of Columbia

The Commanders are coming home to Washington, D.C., and a newly struck $3.8 billion stadium deal further shows how team owner Josh Harris has accomplished in 24 months what predecessor Dan Snyder couldn’t get done in 24 years.

The NFL team and District officials announced Monday plans to build a 65,000-seat stadium on the grounds of the long-abandoned RFK Stadium, the Commanders’ home from 1961 to 1996, confirming sharply heightened expectations over the past two weeks [[link removed]]. The agreement will see Harris contribute at least $2.7 billion, representing the single-largest private investment in District history, while the District will supply $500 million toward stadium costs and roughly another $600 million for parking and related infrastructure. Opening is targeted for 2030.

“This land has been blighted and underused for too long,” said District mayor Muriel Bowser, who is strongly burnishing her legacy through sports, particularly following a separate deal struck last year to renovate Capital One Arena [[link removed]].

As the Commanders sought for years to find a site for a successor facility to Northwest Stadium, a critical part of the puzzle emerged earlier this year as RFK Stadium land transferred from federal control to the District [[link removed]]. Also key was Harris’s willingness to shoulder roughly 76% of the core stadium cost privately—contrasting sharply from more troubled stadium proposals in Cleveland and Chicago, where team owners are looking for roughly half of the costs to be covered by taxpayers.

“We want to bring the Commanders home, with a new RFK that our fans will love, and our opponents will fear,” Harris said.

In addition to the stadium deal, the Commanders under Harris just had their best season in 33 years [[link removed]], reaching the NFC title game, and are poised for a big increase in national broadcast exposure [[link removed]] in 2025.

Next Steps

Even with the euphoria of Monday’s announcement, plenty of hurdles remain for both the District and the team, and the project remains a long way from shovels in the ground. The deal must pass the D.C. council, with varying degrees of support there, particularly as legislators grappled with a budget shortfall of potentially more than $1 billion.

Neighborhood opposition in areas near RFK Stadium also promises to be heavy. Already, an activist group called Homes Not Stadiums has filed paperwork seeking to place an initiative on next year’s election ballot that would block a new stadium on the RFK land. The group instead is seeking to prioritize affordable housing on the roughly 175-acre site.

The stadium deal does include plans for about 5,000 housing units, at least 30% of which will be affordable.

“I continue to be concerned with investing any public money into a stadium while we have constrained budgets and revenues, and unmet needs,” said council chair Phil Mendelson.

A Future Super Bowl?

Despite those obstacles, stadium advocates such as Bowser see the potential of the District hosting major events such as the Super Bowl and the Final Four with a new stadium. The proposed venue will have a translucent roof, not unlike what’s been proposed in Chicago [[link removed]], and will allow for indoor events.

“The stadium project promises to be great for the fans, the team, and the District and the NFL,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who was on site for the stadium deal announcement. “It makes us better as a league with all of our clubs playing in a world-class stadium.”

When asked if the stadium improved Washington’s chances to host a Super Bowl, Goodell said, “I didn’t come here to announce that, but I would say dramatically.”

SPONSORED BY TOTAL WIRELESS

UFC Taps Total Wireless

UFC’s latest partnership [[link removed]] signals a shift toward utility. Total Wireless—known for its no-frills, no-contract model—is now the official wireless provider of UFC in the U.S. At first glance, it’s an unexpected match. But both brands appeal to a similar mindset: direct, self-reliant, and no time for nonsense.

As UFC expands its commercial roster, this deal reflects a broader strategy—aligning with brands that offer real value to fans, not just flash. With a mobile-first audience streaming fights, following athletes, and demanding flexibility, the fit is more strategic than it may seem.

Inside the Octagon and outside of it, Total Wireless is making its case. Learn more about the partnership [[link removed]]—and why it reflects where UFC is heading as a business.

Quinn Ewers Bet on NFL Over NIL—and Left Millions on the Table [[link removed]]

Austin American-Statesman

Quinn Ewers would have made much more money this year by staying in school.

The Dolphins selected the former Texas quarterback in the seventh round of the NFL Draft on Saturday, slotting Ewers, the 231st pick, into a contract worth roughly $4.33 million. That four-year deal is most likely worth less than the NIL (name, image, and likeness) money Ewers could have in 2025 alone by transferring to another school and by playing out his final year of NCAA eligibility.

Ewers’s draft vs. NIL decision was a hot topic [[link removed]] during Texas’s run to the College Football Playoff semifinals, with reports of schools offering the quarterback up to $6 million to transfer. Ultimately, Texas named rising redshirt sophomore Arch Manning its starting quarterback for 2025, as expected, and Ewers entered the draft [[link removed]].

Before the 2024 college football season, some draft experts projected Ewers as a potential first-round pick. (Should he enter the draft, Manning is already gaining traction as a possible top-five pick in 2026.) Ewers’s stock fell throughout the season, though, and when he declared, he was mostly seen as a Day 2 pick at best.

On Saturday, Ewers said [[link removed]] he was “happy” that he went through the adversity he did during the end of his college career. Before the draft, Ewers said he had no regrets about turning pro, in part because he didn’t want to play for another school besides Texas.

Other Side of the Story

Ewers’s story is not over, of course. But his slide to the seventh round comes in great contrast to No. 1 pick Cam Ward [[link removed]], who made a massive leap in 2024 by doing what Ewers opted not to do this year—transferring and using a fifth year of eligibility.

Ward initially declared for the 2024 NFL Draft after playing four seasons of college football (2020 and 2021 at Incarnate Word, 2022 and 2023 at Washington State). At the time, he was seen as a Day 3 selection.

But Ward transferred to Miami, where his play made him the consensus No. 1 pick in 2025, all while cashing in from the Canes Connection NIL collective and signing deals with major brands like Adidas and Bose.

As the top pick, Ward will sign a four-year, $43 million contract.

Shedeur Sanders Wasn’t Only NFL Draft Prospect Prank Called

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Shedeur Sanders wasn’t the only NFL Draft prospect pranked this weekend

The Colorado quarterback who fell to the Browns in the fifth round [[link removed]] was called Friday by someone posing as Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. It was later discovered that the prankster was the son of a Falcons assistant [[link removed]].

Jeff Ulbrich was previously the Jets’ defensive coordinator for the last four years and stepped in as interim head coach in 2024 after Robert Saleh was fired. The Falcons are not disciplining the elder Ulbrich.

More Prank Calls

There are reportedly other players who received prank calls, according to ESPN. A Falcons spokesperson told Front Office Sports that Jax Ulbrich is not tied to the other reported prank calls.

The Falcons were also on the other end of pranks. A student at Alabama [[link removed]] prank called Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond posing as Falcons GM Terry Fontenot. Bond transferred from Alabama to Texas in 2024 after three seasons with the Crimson Tide and went undrafted due after a sexual assault arrest in Texas. Bond is still unsigned as of Monday afternoon.

Penn State tight end Tyler Warren reportedly received a prank call [[link removed]] on Thursday night while the Jets were on the clock with the No. 7 pick. The team selected Missouri offensive lineman Armand Membou instead of Warren, who wound up going to the Colts at No. 14.

And Bills sixth-round selection Chase Lundt, an offensive tackle, told reporters he received [[link removed].] “four or five” prank calls during the draft.

“There were a lot of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ throughout the course of the morning, but I was able to kind of push them aside after a while and just kind of stay levelheaded through it all,” Lundt said.

On Sunday, the younger Ulbrich apologized on Instagram.

“ On Friday night I made a tremendous mistake [[link removed]],” Ulbrich wrote. “Shedeur, what I did was completely inexcusable, embarrassing and shameful. I’m so sorry I took away from your moment, it was selfish and childish,” he wrote. “I could never imagine getting ready to celebrate one of the greatest moments of your life and I made a terrible mistake and messed with that moment.

“Thank you for accepting my call earlier today, I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me,” he added.

Prank calls have come up before during the draft. Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean got one during the 2024 draft [[link removed]] while he was waiting to hear his name called in the draft’s green room.

The NFL is investigating the prank call to Sanders and a league spokesman confirmed to Front Office Sports that it has been in contact with the Falcons and will “review the matter” when asked if the investigation will expand to the other calls. Sanders used a cell phone with a number only given out to NFL personnel.

To read more about the NFL Draft prank calls, check out Alex Schiffer’s full story here [[link removed]].

STATUS REPORT Two Up, Two Down

Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Liverpool ⬆ The famed soccer club clinched another Premier League title Sunday, tying it with Manchester United for the most English league titles ever at 20 each. Liverpool is owned by Fenway Sports Group, the American parent company of the Red Sox and Penguins, among other sporting properties.

London Marathon ⬆ Sunday’s race was the largest marathon ever, with 56,640 confirmed finishers, beating the previous record of 55,646 set by the 2024 New York Marathon.

Zurich Classic ⬇ The final round broadcast of the PGA Tour event in New Orleans was marred by technical difficulties Sunday, with viewers missing out on over an hour of action across Golf Channel and CBS due to a power outage at TPC Louisiana. At 3:42 p.m. ET, with the TV feed still unavailable, play was suspended due to inclement weather. When the final round resumed at 5:15, CBS aired the remainder of the team tournament, won by Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin, without issues.

Madrid Open ⬇ The combined ATP/WTA tournament suspended play Monday afternoon and then cancelled remaining action for the day, due to a nationwide power outage across Spain. The men’s draw was finishing its round of 32, while the women’s is scheduled to begin its round of 16 on Tuesday.

Conversation Starters NBA commissioner Adam Silver said media members who cover the league “don’t spend enough time talking about why people love this game.” Check out his comments [[link removed]]. Jaguars GM James Gladstone is just 34 years old, but he’s already got a reputation for being bold. Take a look [[link removed]] at his unique front office approach. Penn State football coach James Franklin said he is fighting to keep his program’s culture transformational, not transactional, in the transfer portal and NIL era. Read more [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks White House Takes Credit For Browns Drafting Shedeur Sanders [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Trump posted Friday about Sanders’s fall out of the first round. Nike Accused of ‘Misleading’ NFT Scheme In Lawsuit [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Nike pulled the rug out from under investors, the complaint says. In Major Win for NCAA, Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Seeking NIL Damages [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]It’s a major win for the NCAA, which faces a group of similar lawsuits. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], Alex Schiffer [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]]

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