DALLAS — Washington Redskins president Bruce Allen will no longer have responsibilities with the team’s football operations, and his future with the organization remains somewhat unsettled, a source close to Allen confirmed to ESPN.
NBC Sports Washington first reported the news, citing multiple sources.
Allen has been the primary voice in Washington’s football matters since the firing of Mike Shanahan in 2013. The Redskins did hire Scot McCloughan as general manager after the 2014 season, but he was fired after the 2016 season and Allen regained complete control. Allen was hired by Redskins owner Dan Snyder to be his top executive late in the 2009 season.
ESPN’s source said Allen told him he would continue as the Redskins president and help owner Dan Snyder try to get a new stadium built. However, Allen’s future role – if any — has not been made official by the team and could always change. The Redskins have been trying to finalize a site for several years and Allen has been viewed as consequential in this quest, sources say. But Allen’s future could be tied to whomever Snyder hires as the next general manager or coach.
Allen’s future has been discussed often in 2019 as the Redskins endured one of their worst seasons in years — they are 3-12 heading into Sunday’s finale against Dallas. Coach Jay Gruden was fired after the team started the season 0-5.
Last week, one source said Snyder would be hiring the next coach, denying Allen a say in the decision. The same source also said Allen had been considering a new setup for the Redskins’ front office by hiring someone to be in charge of football operations.
Allen’s demise has been rumored in recent weeks as Snyder took a harder look at the issues surrounding the organization.
Numerous league sources said it would be difficult for the Redskins to hire particular coaches if their current power structure remained intact, pointing to issues with Allen as the main decision-maker in personnel matters. There will be concerns, too, from prospective coaches that Allen will try to reinsert himself into football decisions. Some current players have privately bemoaned his lack of a feel for the locker room, signing players who were not a good fit, as well as a lack of a knack for judging talent.