ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders training camp begins on Wednesday and there are a few changes in store. Most notably, training camp will be held in Ashburn, Virginia, rather than Richmond.
The city of Richmond has hosted the Commanders for training camp since 2014 at the Bon Secours facility, built in 2013.
The Commanders usually will practice in Richmond for the first two weeks of training camp before heading back up to their normal practice facility in northern Virginia. The eight-year contract to hold training camp in Richmond expired after the 2020 season. However, training camp didn’t take place in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fans who want to get a look at the 2022 Commanders up close will have a chance to do so at FedEx Field on Saturday, Aug. 6. Several other practices will be held between July 27 and Aug. 18 that fans had the opportunity to sign up for the chance to attend through a fan lottery system. The lottery is now closed.
Other special events include the team's annual Military Appreciation Day and a daily Commanders Community Corner. Washington Salute, the Official Military Appreciation Club of the Washington Commanders, will host local military members for a special viewing of practice and meet-and-greets with players and coaches on Saturday, July 30. Additionally, The Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation will welcome DMV youth throughout training camp in the Commanders Community Corner. The Community Corner will also host select community groups, who will be invited to watch practice and receive special recognition for their service to our region.
"Our inaugural training camp as the Commanders will not only offer our fans front row seats as the team prepares for the kickoff of the 2022 season but also will deliver these experiences across our Commanders community," said President Jason Wright in a statement. "We are excited to provide a variety of fan-facing opportunities across the region so fans can come out, watch the team prepare, interact with the players and coaching staff, and join in on the excitement celebrating our first season in this new era."
New quarterback Carson Wentz will be the focal point when the Washington Commanders open training camp. Wentz will finally get a chance to build chemistry with Terry McLaurin after the top receiver missed offseason workouts while mired in contract negotiations. Wentz is supposed to stabilize football's most important position after years of it being a revolving door with Washington. Coach Ron Rivera goes into his third camp with not even the illusion of a QB competition. That's by design with expectations on Rivera and the Commanders to contend for a playoff spot this season after going 7-10 last season.
Rivera isn't yet on the hot seat, but the organizational expectation is to make the playoffs in the first season known as the Commanders after the previous two as the Washington Football Team. There's a reason the club traded for Wentz and drafted a handful of players who are more polished than other prospects but might have lower ceilings. Winning a weak NFC East at 7-9 in 2020 perhaps raised the bar too high too soon for Washington. But now there's a concerted effort amid fan apathy and sagging attendance to at least earn a wild-card spot and start contending again.
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