Washington Commanders Unveiled as New Nickname with New Logo, Uniforms and Design

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The Washington NFL team will now be known as the Commanders after the organization announced the name change Wednesday.

In addition to a new name, Washington showed off its new logo and uniforms in the following video on Twitter:

The new name will take effect for the 2022 season after spending 2020-21 as the Washington Football Team.

Owner Dan Snyder first announced in July 2020 the organization would be “retiring” the Redskins moniker that had been with the organization since 1933 in Boston.

The change came amid ongoing protests against racial injustice throughout the world, as well as financial pressure put on Snyder and the football team. The previous nickname is a racial slur referring to Indigenous people.

Sponsors Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo also pushed to change the name after 87 investment firms and shareholders worth a collective $620 billion sent letters to the three companies asking them to sever ties, per Mary Emily O’Hara of Adweek. FedEx holds the naming rights to the stadium and formally sent a request to change the team name in early July.

Commissioner Roger Goodell received a letter from over a dozen Indigenous leaders and organizations asking the franchise to change the name. It said the NFL needed to “repair the decades of emotional violence and other serious harms this racist team name has caused to Native Peoples.”

It left the organization to decide on a new mascot, with team president Jason Wright cautioning that it’s a long process. It ultimately took about two years.

The website WashingtonJourney.com provided updates on the plans to create a name that would last “the next 100 years.” It also gave the opportunity for fans to submit ideas for a new name, a list that included the Generals, Justice, Wolves and Rhinos.

Wright announced in August that they had narrowed their options down to three finalists, while the team revealed in January the official name would be released on Feb. 2:

After using a temporary name of Washington Football Team, the squad will now go by the Commanders for the foreseeable future.

The next step will be to improve the product on the field after producing a losing record for the fifth straight season in 2021.