Commanders give new owner Josh Harris game ball afteer preseason win against Browns

The Commanders were so thrilled with a preseason win over the Browns, they awarded a game ball to new team owner Josh Harris.

And the plan is to make that game ball a place holder for when the victories do count. Coach Ron Rivera said he spotted Harris and his wife on the field.

“I had seen that they were on the field after the game,” coach Ron Rivera told reporters after Friday night’s 17-15 win over Cleveland. “We did hand Mr. Harris a game ball. It was a preseason game and we told him a win’s a win and you can always keep this one. We gave it to him and the guys were pretty fired up and looking forward to the opportunity to give him one for real.”

Video: The #Commanders gave their new owner Josh Harris the game ball, after beating the #Browns 17-15 in Week 1 of Pre-seasonpic.twitter.com/imIqYmyfcl

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 12, 2023

Earlier this summer, NFL owners finally approved the sale of the Commanders from Dan Snyder to Harris. Snyder had controlled Washington franchise since 1999. But the league owners finally pushed him out. Snyder announced last November that he was exploring a sale of the team. Harris and his ownership group emerged as the best option this spring, especially after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos declined to place a bid.

Harris grew up in Chevy Chase, a Washington, D.C. suburb, so he’s familiar with the city, the franchise and its proud, passionate fans. He also knows how to be a good owner of a pro sports team. Harris already is the majority owner of two franchises — the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. He also owned a minority share of the Pittsburgh Steelers, worth about $140 million. But he had to sell his share before taking over the Commanders.

Harris paid $6.1 billion for the Commanders. That’s a record for a sports franchise. He also tried to buy the Broncos last year, but Rob Walton, an heir to the Walmart fortune, had the winning bid of $4.85 billion. That had been the record.

Who knows how good Washington can be this season. The Commanders will lean on second-year quarterback Sam Howell, who started all of one game last season. Howell started against the Browns. He threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson. Overall, he completed nine of his 12 attempts for 77 yards. Jacoby Brissett relieved Howell. He’s a former starter for Cleveland. The Browns fans gave him a nice ovation. Brissett’s best play was a 12-yard touchdown scramble to give the Commanders a 14-2 lead.

Washington next plays Aug. 21, with a road game against the Ravens.