Commanders new name for Washington

The former Washington Football team revealed Wednesday they will now be known as the Commanders. The name comes after two years of being The Football Team and decades as the Redskins.

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February 2, 2022 - 9:56 AM

A detailed view of a Washington Commanders logo during the announcement of the Washington Football Team's name change to the Washington Commanders at FedExField on February 2, 2022, in Landover, Maryland. (Rob Carr/Getty Images/TNS) Photo by TNS

Washington’s NFL team is now known as the Commanders.

The new name unveiled Wednesday comes 18 months after the once-storied franchise dropped its old moniker following decades of criticism that it was offensive to Native Americans and under fresh pressure from sponsors. The organization committed to avoiding Native American imagery in its rebrand after being called the Washington Football Team the past two seasons.

“As an organization, we are excited to rally and rise together as one under our new identity while paying homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation’s capital,” owner Dan Snyder said. “As we kick off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us. We continue to honor and represent the Burgundy and Gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington.”

Washington joins Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians among North American major professional sports teams abandoning names linked to Native Americans. The NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and baseball’s Atlanta Braves have said they are not planning to make a similar change.

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