Column: Commanders’ new owners, QB and offensive coordinator have fans buzzing. Will it last when season kicks off?

ASHBURN — The fan, decked out in Washington Commanders gear, couldn’t contain his excitement after what seemed like a routine pass play this week at the Commanders’ training facility.

He let out a loud whoop and, after realizing he might have overreacted, explained himself: “This is my first practice attending since … forever!”

That fan has had company at training camp since the Commanders began prepping for the season last week. Energized by new ownership, a new young quarterback and a new revered offensive coordinator, fans have returned to OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park.

More than 10,000 fans showed up to watch the Commanders’ first public weekend workout last Saturday, and several thousand have filled the newly installed bleachers on weekdays.

I’ve made frequent visits to watch Washington’s NFL team train, beginning as a kid at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania — where the team trained for 34 years on the way to three Super Bowl titles under coach Joe Gibbs. I’ve also watched the team train in Frostburg, Maryland, Richmond and Ashburn. (Worth noting: Hall of Fame defensive back Darrell Green and wall-head-butting quarterback Gus Frerotte were the most gracious players I came across.)

On a visit to Ashburn this week, the buzz was palpable. There were the usual sights and sounds of an NFL training camp — Sharpie-wielding young and old autograph hounds, routine practice drills.

But a lot was … different.

New owner Josh Harris, who led a partnership to purchase the team recently, was cheered and signed autographs for fans when he arrived midway through a workout. How many autographs do you think Dan Snyder signed in his 24 years as team owner? Snyder certainly didn’t elicit any cheers.

Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, brought over in the offseason after guiding the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs to two Super Bowl championships, was a commanding presence.

“Get ‘em in the (expletive) huddle! Enough with all the (expletive) walking!” Bieniemy yelled when he didn’t like the offense’s lack of hustle.

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” he screamed after a successful pass play.

Sam Howell is the new quarterback now that both Carson Wentz and former Old Dominion star Taylor Heinicke have departed — the former remains unsigned, the latter is now a backup for Atlanta.

Heinicke was a fan favorite during training camp last season, and he won over fans with his grit during two seasons with Washington. The multitude of Heinicke No. 4 jerseys are mostly gone, and Howell — a former fifth-round pick out of North Carolina — has taken the snaps (and adulation) that come with being QB1.

Howell has had an up-and-down camp, but coach Ron Rivera has expressed confidence that he’s ready to be an NFL starter with only one game under his belt.

The Commanders will host six more open practices, and Kids Day on Wednesday and the final weekend practice Aug. 19 will be big draws for the team’s suddenly revived fan base. The Commanders’ website notes that the single-day record for attendance at training camp was 29,337 on Fan Appreciation Day in 2011 in Ashburn.

Already, the team’s season opener at FedEx Field against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 10 is nearing a sellout.

All the buzz is nice, but a big question remains: Will fan enthusiasm last once the regular season kicks off? Suspected lightweights Arizona and Denver loom in the opening two weeks, followed by heavyweights Buffalo and Philadelphia.

Howell has thrown only 19 NFL passes, all in a victory against playoff-bound Dallas in last year’s season finale. The Commanders have never had a winning record in Rivera’s three seasons, going 7-9, 7-10 and 8-8-1. And the NFC East is as rugged as ever, led by an Eagles team that reached the Super Bowl last season.

But all that recent history didn’t seem to matter this week.

Among the first-time fans attending Wednesday were football players from Thomas Johnson High in Frederick, Maryland. They started jockeying for position and calling for souvenirs — receiving gloves, wrist bands, anything — as practice closed and Commanders players dispersed. Tight end Logan Thomas tossed one of his gloves toward them, and one of the players emerged with a wide smile, running delighted away from his teammates.

Another happy Commanders fan. The day was clear and sunny, and the dark clouds hanging over a franchise for most of the past 24 years were gone too.