Washington Football Team renamed ‘Washington Commanders’ 18 months after retiring ‘Redskins’ | NFL News

Washington retired the nickname ‘Redskins’, which it had been known as since 1933, in 2020 after pressure from the Native American community and team sponsors in light of its racist connotations

The Washington Football Team announce its new name and logo

The Washington Football Team has announced it will now be known as the ‘Washington Commanders’ after adopting a new name and logo. 

The unveiling comes 18 months after the franchise retired its ‘Redskins’ nickname following pressure from the Native American community and team sponsors in light of its racist connotations.

Washington had launched a review of its name in light of multiple sponsors threatening to terminate financial agreements, including the stadium naming rights deal with FedEx.

“Dan Snyder and Coach Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition-rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years,” the team stated at the time of dropping the name and logo.

Washington team president Jason Wright, the first Black person in NFL history to be hired to that role, ruled out ‘Warriors’ becoming the new nickname in July, reaffirming the organisation’s desire to permanently move on from Native American imagery.

At the same time, he described his and the franchise’s intentions to “prioritise the views of those who have been hurt by our historical use of Native American language”.

The team had been known as the Braves while based in Boston up until 1933 when they switched to the Redskins, before then-owner George Preston Marshall relocated to Washington four years later.

Baseball followed suit last year as the Cleveland Guardians stepped away from their ‘Indians’ nickname and Wahoos logo, while rugby union side Exeter Chiefs recently dropped its use of Native American imagery.