NORTHWEST STADIUM
STADIUM DUDE’S NFL STADIUM RANK: #30
STADIUM INFORMATION
- Location: Landover, MD
- Opened: 1997
- Capacity: 58,000
- Weather: Comfortable (ranked 4th best of 20 outdoor venues)
- Games attended: 2
- Last Visited: 2025
STADIUM REVIEW
This is the worst barn in the NFL. Period. And it’s really even close. It is such a dump, FedEx walked away from its naming rights because it didn’t want to be associated with such a place.
The past few years have been borderline dangerous. Sewage once poured into the seats when a pipe burst during a game. A railing once collapsed sending a few souls plummeting several feet onto the field (albeit, they were Eagle fans, so it was probably a grift). While there’s renewed hope in D.C. both on and off the field, for now, Washington football fans have to put up with less-than-palatial surroundings.
At one point, the Commanders (then Redskins) had a season ticket holder waitlist of 160,000 names. Jack Kent Cooke Stadium (and then FedEx Field) had a capacity of 91,000 seats. But years of mediocre football and bad ownership by Daniel Snyder eroded this once robust fan base. They kept taking out much of the upper deck, and brought capacity down to a mere 62,000. But the result is a odd skeleton where the old seats used to be, and a sense of faded glory. This was made even worse in the not-to-distant lean years with a lot of no shows and empty seats, even at reduced capacity.
While a mere 12 miles from the White House, the trek to the stadium is a good hour’s drive on game day. The pricy parking is a Ben-Hur chariot race after the game, one of the most disorganized messes I’ve ever seen. And there aren’t many other options of getting there given the closest Metro Station is over a mile away.
The structure itself, which opened in 1997, hasn’t aged well and is among the most basic in football. There are some obstructed view seats due to overhang issues. Concessions are generally meh, though there is a Ben’s Chili Bowl. And prices are among the highest in football, a leftover from the price-gouging Snyder era.
The biggest positive is the marching band, the oldest marching band in football. Even with all of the name changes and the ownership swap, the band plays on. “Hail to the Redskins” was one of the better pro fight songs, and while “Hail to the Commanders” doesn’t sound right (not to get political, but it feels a little like an ode to a dictator), the band still brings it.
Fortunately, a new era has arrived in Washington. The team settled a few off-the-field messes and has an inoffensive name, a better owner, an exciting young team, and a new sponsor in Northwest Federal Credit Union. The stadium is full again, which creates a better vibe. And most importantly, there’s hope for a new state-of-the-art stadium on the site of the old RFK Stadium in D.C. proper. Alas, for now, Washington football fans have to watch their beloveds in the least pleasant building in pro football. A proud fanbase deserves better.
