Jason Wright Becomes First Black NFL President

Former running back Jason Wright is the first black president of an NFL franchise after being hired by the Washington Football Team.

Jason Wright is also the youngest NFL president ever at just 38 years old. He joins the Washington Franchise at a tumultuous, controversial period. He will oversee the team’s business interests in tandem with coach Ron Rivera, who will continue his footballing role.

Longtime president Bruce Allen was fired by Dan Snyder, who also hired Ron Rivera after another losing season. The front office and medical departments have also been revamped. He is also the subject of sexual harassment allegations by former employees.

Then, there’s the name change, which Snyder approved after pressure from sponsors. 

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Jason Wright played for the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals over seven years. He was the Cardinals captain and NFLPA representatives during the labor negotiations of 2010 – 2011.

“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.”

It’s certainly a bold appointment for a team who is stuck in the past in terms of football success and trying to distance itself from the racist overtones of that past. Appointing a young, black president is a powerful statement, no doubt. However, it will take more than tokenism to steady the ship in Washington.

Read: Minority Owners Want Dan Snyder To Sell Washington NFL Team

“I have always enjoyed building exciting new things and taking on the hard, seemingly intractable challenges that others may not want to tackle,” said Wright.

Wright is the fourth former player to become a team president, and joins Washington from a DC strategy and management consulting firm.