The Washington Football Team hired Jason Wright as its new team president. Wright becomes the first Black team president in NFL history.
What We Know:
- Former running back Jason Wright is the newest addition to the Washington Football Team’s front office. He is the NFL’s first Black team president and he’s also the league’s youngest. Washington is looking for a way to solve their long list of franchise problems and start a new chapter and this seems to be one of those ways.
- According to the team’s statement, Jason Wright will be “responsible for leading the organization’s business divisions, including operations, finances, sales, and marketing”. Wright played seven seasons in the NFL as a running back, retiring in 2010. After retiring, he completed his MBA at the University of Chicago and became a partner at McKinsey & Company, a global consulting firm.
- The Washington franchise has made several headlines this year starting with the team’s new name. For decades, the franchise used a racist term for indigenous people as its team name and mascot. Owner Dan Snyder refused to change it until last month when the team dropped the offensive name. They will be known as the Washington Football Team until an appropriate name and mascot are chosen.
- Amidst the news of the team’s name, the franchise’s horrid history of sexual harassment and toxic work culture became public. 15 former employees came forward with their experiences and a number of high ranking members in the team were dismissed. In addition to the sexual harassment allegations and the team’s offensive history, Washington hasn’t made the NFL postseason since 2007.
- It’s clear that the team is trying to turn around its image on and off the field. Earlier this year, the team hired Ron Rivera as head coach, making him the first Latino coach in franchise history. Washington also hired Julie Davidson to run its communications division, making her the first woman to be part of an NFL broadcast team.
Wright’s hiring is good news for Washington as they try to overhaul their franchise culture and image. Moreso, in a league where all team presidents have been white men, Wright’s hiring hopefully signals a shift where more NFL teams start including under-represented people.
