Commanders cornerback says team needs 'a fresh start'
One Washington Commanders player all but said he wants team owner Dan Snyder to sell the team.
Second-year cornerback Benjamin St-Juste told Le Journal de Québec, a French-Canadian newspaper, this week that he believes a "fresh start" would help the team move forward.
"Since I arrived here, it's been a dark cloud over our organization," St-Juste said in French, via Google Translate. "Every time there is something good happening on the pitch, something bad is happening off it. It would give us great energy to have a fresh start and regain the confidence of the fans."
Though the Commanders haven't been great this season, the team's 4-5 record is good enough to keep them barely in the playoff hunt. But no one is talking about that. Instead, attention has been on Snyder, who is embroiled in multiple off-field controversies including a federal probe of the team's workplace culture and allegations of fraud.
The Commanders announced this past week that Snyder and the organization have begun to "consider potential transactions" with the ownership of the franchise, but that's as far as reports have gone with speculation.
More unsavory news followed this week when the team used running back Brian Robinson's shooting case in its response to Attorney General Karl Racine scheduling a news conference regarding the team and its investigation. Robinson's agent later said he was grateful to those in the organization for their response to his client's shooting, but "whoever is hiding behind this statement is not one of them."
St-Juste is the first and currently only player to go on record insulating his displeasure with ownership, but his feelings shouldn't be disregarded as just a one-off. He mentioned how even when good things happen on the field, the organization brings the energy down with its issues off it.
If St-Juste gets his wish, the Commanders could have new owners by next season. Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported Snyder wants $7 billion for the franchise and wants to complete any transaction by March of 2023. Potential suitors have already begun to emerge, as well, including a group that includes Jeff Bezos, Jay-Z and Matthew McConaughey.
