The Washington Commanders have been exploring building a new stadium, and have started to narrow in on where its new home will be and what it will look like. The franchise recently acquired an option to purchase 200 acres of land in Prince William County, Virginia, and conducted an economic impact analysis on what a new stadium would bring to Virginia, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
FedExField is one of the largest stadiums in the NFL, but the Commanders are looking at downsizing. Per The Times-Dispatch, Washington's proposal is for a 55,000-seat stadium. That would be the smallest stadium in the NFL. A person with knowledge of the situation told The Times-Dispatch that the goal of this new stadium isn't to be the biggest, but to create a "strong environment" for the Commanders when they play their homes games.
The Chicago Bears have the smallest stadium in the NFL, according to stadiumsofprofootball.com, as Soldier Field has a capacity of 61,500. Washington obviously isn't opposed to smaller stadiums, as it called RFK Stadium home for more than 30 years. The Washington D.C.-based venue held about 57,000 fans.
While a location hasn't been decided on just yet, the land Washington recently acquired an option on is located in Woodbridge, Virginia, about 23 miles southwest of D.C. ESPN reported that the Commanders were considering a 60,000-seat dome that could be used throughout the year. Washington's playing contract at FedExField is set to expire after the 2026 season, but it's also possible the Commanders could decide to stay in Maryland.
