Commanders fans are rightly disappointed by Sean Taylor memorial

The Washington Commanders will be playing with heavy hearts on Sunday against the Atlanta Flacons. Today marks the 15th anniversary of the tragic passing of Sean Taylor, who was killed during a home invasion in Nov. 2007.

Washington honored Taylor last season by retiring his iconic No. 21 jersey, but the whole thing was an unmitigated disaster.

Between announcing the ceremony just three days before it was carried out, the timing of the ceremony — it came days after the Jon Gruden-Bruce Allen email controversy was unearthed — not even having a halftime speech or tribute to Taylor, putting the sideline number tribute right where VIPs stand, and Dan Snyder wearing a sweatshirt for the occasion, the entire day was a travesty.

On Sunday, though, Commanders fans went a long way towards ensuring the ceremony was special as they packed FedEx Field for the unveiling of the Sean Taylor installation. The ceremony itself was powerful.

The statue, however, left a lot to be desired, which brings back memories to last year’s botched ceremony.

The Commanders’ Sean Taylor memorial is a disgrace.

This … this isn’t a statue.

The Commanders literally put Taylor’s jersey on a wire mannequin. Does “installation” mean something greater is in the works? Did they not build an actual statue because the FedEx Field lease expires after the 2027 season, and the franchise could relocate? Why not just make the statue mobile?

Whatever the case, the memorial’s unveiling really threw a wet blanket on the poignant atmosphere fans created. It’s just the same old story.

Between the “statue,” players wearing No. 21 decals on their helmets vs the Falcons, and Taylor’s daughter, Jackie, helping launch the limited-edition Sean Taylor Legacy Project merchandise, the planning that went into honoring Taylor on the 15th anniversary of his tragic death was commendable.

All proceeds of the merchandise will benefit gun violence prevention initiatives, and Jackie was even introduced as the Commanders’ honorary captain for the game. What more could you ask for?

As is often the case with this organization, though, the execution didn’t come close to cutting it, which is sad given everything Taylor meant to the franchise and its fans.

It’s a mannequin! Terms like statue and memorial were thrown around all week, and putting Taylor’s No. 21 jersey and uniform on a mannequin is how Washington decided to immortalize the player’s greater-than-life legacy.

It’s not as egregious as Taylor’s retirement ceremony, but fans have every right to be disappointed. The question now is if the Commanders will take a third (!) chance and actually build a statue in Taylor’s honor. At that point, though, it’s fair to question if the meaning behind it will still resonate.