Commanders Commit to a New, Improved Sean Taylor Statue

When the Washington Commanders unveiled the statue of deceased safety Sean Taylor two years ago, it was met with strong criticism and pushback from fans and community members. On Saturday, the team announced it plans to remove the statue, which critics said resembled a cheap mannequin, and is working the Taylor family to replace it.

Taylor played for the Commanders for four seasons after being drafted fifth overall out of Miami in 2004. The Ring of Fame honoree established himself as one of the league’s best players during that span, but he was tragically killed during an attempted robbery at his Florida home during the 2007 season. He was just 24 years old.

On the 15th anniversary of his death two years ago, the Commanders unveiled a memorial for him at the stadium. The problem was the two-time Pro Bowler’s statue was underwhelming and lacked details of Taylor’s signature game look. The initial installation failed to include the proper jersey (Reebok instead of Nike) and didn’t apply pieces of tape all over his face mask–as Taylor did while playing. The organization soon altered the installation to include those, as well as using the proper style of socks and cleats. The unveiling was one of the final sore moments of Dan Snyder’s 24-year tenure as the team owner, which was marked by dysfunction and scandal.

Jackie Taylor, the daughter of Taylor, will be part of the design process for the new statue. Taylor, who wears her father’s No. 21 as a volleyball player at University of North Carolina, expressed gratitude to new Commanders’ majority owner Josh Harris and the team for deciding to replace her father’s memorial. Harris and his ownership group, which includes NBA legend Magic Johnson, purchased the club for a record $6 billion last summer.

The team said in a statement that the last installation fell short: “Together with the Taylor family, we are working on a plan, which includes unveiling a statue that will rightfully celebrate the legacy and impact that Sean had on our organization, fan base and community. The Commanders are committed to honoring our legends in a first-class manner.”

The Commanders are planning to move to a new stadium in the DMV area where it will rightfully recognize all its best players but have yet to decide where it will plant roots as it considers multiple jurisdictions. The new ownership group in the meantime has invested more than $75 million in capital repairs and upgrades at their current stadium in Landover, Md..

Taylor’s No. 21 jersey was retired in 2021, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to earn the designation. The new statue will be able to move to the team’s new venue once it’s constructed.