Washington hires Wright
The Washington Football Team hired Jason Wright as president on Monday, making him the first Black person to hold that position in NFL history.
At 38, he becomes the NFL’s youngest team president and will run the organization’s business operations with coach Ron Rivera maintaining control over football decisions.
Washington’s hiring of Wright drew a commendation from the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which seeks to promote diversity in NFL. Chairman Harry Carson and executive director Rod Graves called it a “historic event.”
Until now, Kevin Warren had been the highest-ranking Black businessside executive in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings promoted Warren to chief operating officer in 2015, and he held that post for four years until leaving to become the Big Ten commissioner.
Wright, a running back for seven years with Atlanta, Cleveland and Arizona, was a captain for the Cardinals and their NFLPA representative during labor negotiations in 2010-11.
“If I could custom design a leader for this important time in our history, it would be Jason,” owner Dan Snyder said. “His experience as a former player, coupled with his business acumen, gives him a perspective that is unrivaled in the league.”
The hiring is another significant change for Snyder, who has in the past nine months fired president and longtime confidant Bruce Allen after another losing season, hired Rivera, revamped the front office and medical staffs, bowed to pressure from sponsors to drop the name “Redskins” and been forced to confront allegations of sexual harassment by members of the organization from former employees.
Cowboys lose McCoy: Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is out for the season after tearing the quadriceps tendon in his right leg in the first padded practice of training camp.
Executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said McCoy, 32, would have surgery soon. Jones said McCoy was working against Antwaun Woods in individual drills when Woods stepped on his foot.