Washington retired the “Redskins” moniker, which it had known since 1933, in 2020 following pressure from the Native American community and team sponsors in light of its racist overtones.
The Washington Football Team announced that it will now be known as the “Washington Commanders” following the adoption of a new name and logo.
Washington began revisiting its name in light of several sponsors threatening to terminate financial agreements, including the stadium’s naming rights deal with FedEx.
“Dan Snyder and Coach Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will cement the reputation of our proud, heritage-rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans, and community for the next 100 years,” the team said at the event. time to drop the name and logo.
Washington team president Jason Wright, the first black person in NFL history to be hired for the role, ruled out in July that the Warriors would be the new moniker, reaffirming the organization’s desire to permanently ditch Native American imagery.
At the same time, he described his and the franchise’s intentions to “prioritize the views of those who have been affected by our historical use of the Native American language.”
The future of Washington football is here #TakeCommand pic.twitter.com/MwkCLTkVAA
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) February 2, 2022
The team was known as the Braves when based in Boston until 1933, when they switched to the Redskins, before then-owner George Preston Marshall moved to Washington four years later.
Baseball followed suit last year when the Cleveland Guardians dropped their “Indians” moniker and Wahoos logo, and the Exeter Chiefs rugby union team recently dropped Native American imagery.
