After 18-months of deliberation, team president Jason Wright — alongside team captain Jonathan Allen and former quarterback Doug Williams — revealed “Commanders” as the new name of the “Washington Football Team,” during a “Today Show” interview on February 2, 2022. When asked by “Today Show” correspondent Craig Melvin how the name was chosen, Wright responds, “It’s a name that has the weight and meaning befitting a 90-year-old franchise. It’s something that broadly resonated with our fans. . . It’s something that can allow us to tie the rich history and championship legacy of this franchise to new traditions in the future.” Williams adds, “I do like the name, it’s got a good sound to it.”
The announcement of the new, Commanders, name comes with a campaign video unveiling updated logos on jerseys and helmets that maintain the team’s beloved burgundy, gold, black, and white color scheme. “I loved it. I absolutely loved it,” Allen says about trying on uniform for the first time. “I feel like it embodied not only what the players represent, but what this community and what the DMV (District, Maryland and Virginia) represents,” he elaborated.
The future of Washington football is here #TakeCommand pic.twitter.com/MwkCLTkVAA
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) February 2, 2022
On July 23, 2020, it was announced that while the former Washington Redskins decided on a new name, they would go by “Washington Football Team” until further notice, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team replaced the logo on helmets with the player’s number for the start of the 2020 season.
The Washington Redskins made an overdue change to their team name and logo. On July 13, 2020, the team announced that after a thorough review process, the organization would rebrand under a new name. “Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review. 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 says in a statement.
After pressure mounted from fans, allies, and team sponsors, team owner Daniel Snyder changed the name that has represented a racial slur towards Native Americans for centuries. The franchise has had the name for the last 87 years, and despite Snyder initially saying he would not change the name, it is necessary in the fight for racial justice.
According to “Adweek,” prior to the review process that began on July 3, 2020, 87 investors worth a total of $620 billion sent a letter to team sponsors FedEx, Pepsi, and Nike, asking them to end their relationships with the team unless the name was changed. Nike, Amazon, Walmart, and Target pulled team merchandise from their respective websites and stores earlier in the month.
“The Washington Post” reported that on July 2, 2020, FedEx sent the team a private two-page letter stating that unless they change the name, the company will remove its logo from the stadium following the 2020 season. FedEx currently has a $205 million stadium naming rights deal with the team that was signed in 1999 for 27 years.
As the National Football League makes changes to acknowledge its past wrongdoings in the fight for racial justice, the Washington Commanders took a major step to do the same. Read the team statement ahead.
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 13, 2020
– Additional reporting by Angelica Wilson