You know, we love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. So it's really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning. But as far as rebranding and bringing our past, which obviously I grew up with and all the Super Bowl championships, and our future together, you're going to see us head back towards honoring our past and bringing it together with our future.
And how does winning impact how aggressive you may want to see the organization when it comes to free agency and other moves?
Look, we're looking for commanders, whether it be free agency, trades, draft. Obviously we have a lot of cap flexibility, a full slate of draft picks. Certainly we're going to be talking to other teams where we can find players that are great at what they do, fit our culture, are great teammates, situationally aware, hit hard, and are tough. We're going to get them to come. So we're totally focused on improving our team from last year, and I think we're going to do that.
Josh, Ben Standig with The Athletic. To the point of improving on the team, you guys obviously with Jayden Daniels looks like you may have found a really good young quarterback going forward. That also comes with the opportunity with him on a rookie contract for a couple years. How do you assess that opportunity? Do you think that leads to being more aggressive in free agency this year?
Yeah, we have a massive opportunity, and none of us are taking that lightly. We're all fully committed to continuing to build our team and be elite over the long term. Obviously we understand that contract and those dynamics. So like I said, where we can find players that fit us and that we think are going to bring it, we're going to go after them. So I don't know how that translates to aggressiveness in free agency. Adam and Dan are hard at work and they're going to advise me on that, but certainly we're going to do everything we can to improve our team.
Obviously the way the season unfolded, getting all the way to the NFC Championship game, you've said this is pretty obviously great but also a bit surprising. Can you tell us now what realistic expectations were going into this last year about what you actually got?
Look, I knew we were going to go to... No, I'd say... I predicted no. Look, obviously the season came out amazing and better than anyone expected. No one could have sat where we were all sitting at the beginning of the season, where we had entirely, for the most part, a new coaching staff, a new front office, more than half the players were changed. But obviously credit to Adam and Dan and their staffs for bringing everyone together, and credit to the players for making it happen on the field. So look, we got it. We've arrived, and that changes expectations. I've lived through this before, and we welcome it. We're just going to work harder to create a situation where next year we win.
Josh, David Aldridge with The Athletic. In terms of a new facility, new stadium I should say, what's your vision? What do you want? Do you want just a really great stadium, or do you see it as an opportunity to transform a neighborhood and have more bells and whistles in terms of restaurants, housing, all of those things that some other teams have tried to do?
Yeah, so I have three things in mind. Obviously for me personally, I grew up with a great stadium, and I understand what it's like to play in a stadium where it's hard for the visiting team to play. I've experienced different stadiums. I've been to every game for the last two years, and I see differences. So the first, the primary objective, is to create a stadium that we're going to win in, because I think if we do that, that... and there's all kinds of decisions that go into that. But I also think that we have a responsibility. When a city takes land and utilizes it for a stadium, they're taking it away from other things they could do. So it's our responsibility to make it an amazing economic development opportunity for where it is, create a lot of jobs, and help that area. As everyone knows, we're considering multiple jurisdictions, but in each case, those areas need help, need improvement, so that's got to be part of it. The cities themselves have to have their own input as to what they want. These are political processes, and they matter to the neighborhoods and to the greater areas. So we're right in the middle of all that. I think it's both, but for me personally, I start with we need to have a great place where our fans can show up and feel like... and as much as possible, we want that to be an advantage to our team in terms of winning on the field.
Does the success this season speed up a potential timeline? I know you have to go through jurisdictions, city councils, state governments, so there's a certain friction there that you can't do anything about. But do you think you've gained a year or more in terms of timeline by the success of the team?
Yeah, look, anytime that you win on the field, we've all now experienced what it was like here. It was the reawakening of Washington football here in the DMV and everywhere, because there are lots of people who grew up with the team that I grew up with. So anytime you get that reawakening, the population at large is supportive. So there's no question that there's some momentum, and we would hope to capitalize on it. But obviously we're in dialogue with jurisdictions, with Washington, with Maryland. What they want to do is a big part of it also. Every indication is that everyone is supportive, so we're just going to try to move it forward as fast as possible.
Hey Josh, Sam Fortier with the Washington Post. In November at a Bloomberg event with David Rubenstein, you said that DC would be the most politically viable because it would be the most accepted by all jurisdictions. I'm wondering if you still feel that way and if you could explain your thinking.
Yeah, look, I think that obviously the DMV is three jurisdictions, and it turns out DC is in the middle. Plus, because of the history, it's the location that when we do surveys is the most acceptable. But there are a lot of things that go into this. We play in Maryland right now, we have an amazing relationship with Maryland. It's not just our decision. The decision is about the specific locations, regions, areas, and states themselves, and DC itself. So we have a lot of dialogue going with everyone, and we're going to keep pushing forward. But I continue to be transparent about what the surveys say and how the area feels at large. That doesn't mean there's not a lot of support in Maryland or Virginia. There is. But obviously DC is aligned with the history and happens to be the easiest place to get to for the most number of fans.
I was going to ask you, how does that thinking, how do the studies inform your multi-jurisdiction discussions that you're going to have over the next weeks and months?
Yeah, look, these are very complicated things to decide. You have zoning, real estate, what you can build, what you're allowed to build, and site planning. So certainly it's an important part of the mix, but it's not the only factor.
Josh, Barry Svrluga from Washington Post. This is a public-private partnership you're talking about with the stadium. Do you expect to pay for the actual building yourself and get government to help with land and infrastructure, or do you expect to get public money for the building too?
Yeah, look, obviously we're having a lot of discussions right now, and it would be inappropriate for me to get in front of the governments we're talking to: the Maryland government, DC government, PG County. I appreciate the question, but I can't get into that.
Just a minutia thing. Dan Quinn at the end of the season talked a little bit about your week-to-week input with Adam and him going through the process. He mentioned Friday calls wherever you were around the world, you were always available. What do you get out of that? What was the process like, and what's the advantage for you to having such involvement?
