In an interview on The Rich Eisen Show, Eisen asked former Washington quarterback Alex Smith if he had any advice for new Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz. Smith explained Wentz had to keep his focus on the field and not worry about the off-field issues.
“It’s been flawed the last 20 years, there’s a lot of stuff going on there, a lot of distractions, it makes it difficult to kind of focus in on the football,” he said.
The conversation then turned into Smith’s perception of the organization as a former player. He acknowledged all of the team’s issues make it difficult to keep their eyes on football.
“That organization is a really storied franchise, and there’s a lot of turmoil and a lot of distractions,” he said. “To say the stuff that goes on in the building doesn’t infiltrate the locker room or out on the field would be crazy, that happens everywhere. I think that’s what great organizations eliminate and the bad ones have a hard time with, all that noise creeps into the building. It does impact the product on the field.”
Over the past few years, the Commanders organization has dealt with multiple allegations of misconduct. In 2020, The Washington Post reported that 15 women accused the team of allowing sexual harassment within the workplace. The Post also reported that a former senior executive had employees film videos of partially naked cheerleaders behind the scenes of a 2008 swimsuit calendar photoshoot.
After the NFL began an investigation, legislators in the Committee on Oversight and Reform asked Roger Goodell for “documents and communications” concerning the team back in October. The NFL answered all questions pertaining to the investigation, but did not provide specific documents related to the investigation. In February, six former employees met with the committee to discuss sexual harassment allegations.
That same committee is now also looking into allegations of financial impropriety, per The Post.
The NFL is reportedly still investigating Snyder, having retained U.S. attorney and ex-Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Jo White to lead the investigation. Snyder has denied allegations against him and the team.
The Commanders have had issues keeping sponsors due to their off-field issues as well. Earlier this month, Anheuser-Busch decided not to renew its sponsorship deal with the team, the third time a corporation pulled its sponsorship with Washington in the past year, while the Commanders flagship radio station cut ties as well.
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