Jason Wright might be Washington Football Team’s most significant hire

How Wright differs from Bruce Allen

When Bruce Allen was hired by Washington, he was advertised as a winner, and Dan Snyder sold fake promise with his addition. With that in mind, any skepticism surrounding the Wright hire is understandable; the fans of the Washington Football Team have been misled before.

But less than a week into Wright’s official tenure as team president, it’s already all too clear how he differs from Allen. The differences could very well number in the hundreds, but a large number of them can be categorized behind one word: Transparency.

Since being hired, Wright has accepted dozens of interviews — quite possibly more interviews than Bruce Allen took in his entire tenure with Washington. And as an interviewee, Wright is perhaps the spectral opposite of Bruce Allen. It’s something I can show you more effectively than describe to you, so watch this clip below.

Watching the clip, you’ll see that Wright –first and foremost — is very articulate, intelligent, and personable. But not only that; he’s also honest — not just honest to the fans and listeners about what his plan is, but also honest with himself about where the Washington Football Team needs to improve.

There’s also transparency and honesty surrounding Wright’s roles, as well as his intentions. Wright has made clear in several interviews that he’ll be specifically overseeing the business side of things for Washington, focusing on marketing, finance, and management duties, while Ron Rivera will handle the football side.

With Bruce Allen, the lines between football and business were blurred, and this led to role confusion, clashes for power, and an overarching air of dysfunction.

Bruce Allen — perhaps evidenced best by his infamous “the culture is damn good” quote — fell into a trap of inter-organizational bias. Closed off from better, more innovative organizational cultures in the NFL, Allen either truly felt that his way would work, or was blissfully ignorant to the fact that it wouldn’t, effectively prioritizing preserving his role over true success.

With Allen, the truth was constantly convoluted under layers of reckless pride, egotistical self-preservation, and pettiness. But with Wright, it seems out in the open, untainted and available in its full capacity.  That alone is already certain, and it feels so much different.