Washington Football Team names president

Former pro running back Jason Wright becomes first Black president in NFL

Published August 17, 2020 by Sydney Lake

The Washington Football team announced Monday that it has appointed Jason Wright as president of the Ashburn-based National Football League team. He is the NFL’s first Black team president.

The former professional running back will oversee the organization’s business divisions, including operations, finance, sales and marketing, reporting directly to Dan Snyder. Wright was most recently a partner with management consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

“If I could custom design a leader for this important time in our history, it would be Jason,” Snyder said in a statement. “His experience as a former player, coupled with his business acumen, gives him a perspective that is unrivaled in the league.”

During his NFL career from 2004 through 2011, Wright played for the Atlanta Falcons, the Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals. He is also currently a trustee with the Union Theological Seminary in New York City and earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from from Northwestern University and his master’s degree in business administration from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

He comes into the role during a wave of change at the organization — most prominently, its name. The organization announced in late July that the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins would call itself the Washington Football Team during the 2020-21 season until it formally adopts a new permanent name. On July 13, the team announced it would — after 88 years — retire the Redskins name and logo after weeks of discussion over what many see as a derogatory name for Native Americans. The decision was made following a June 3 statement saying it would undergo a “thorough review” of the team name, “in light of recent events around [the] country.”

The Washington Football Team has also recently faced media turmoil for an exposé by The Washington Post detailing the experiences of 15 former female Washington Redskins employees who said they were sexually harassed and verbally abused by some managers, not including Snyder.

“We will not rest until we are a championship caliber team, on and off the field,” Snyder said in a statement. “Jason has a proven track record in helping businesses transform culturally, operationally and financially. He is a proactive and assertive advocate for inclusion of all people and will set new standards for our organization, and for the league. 

“There could not be a better duo than Jason Wright and Coach Ron Rivera as we usher in a new era for Washington Football.”

Subscribe to Virginia Business.

Get our daily e-newsletter.