The NFL team in Washington will officially have a new name.
There were reports over the weekend that the name change was “imminent” and that owner Dan Synder was committed to making the change before the 2020 season.
Washington’s name change is “imminent” and owner Dan Synder is committed to changing it before the start of the 2020 season (via @ProFootballTalk).
We could see a new logo in the next few days.
Now, Ben Fischer of Sports Business Daily reports that the team will announce the retirement of the Redskins’ name on Monday.
Washington’s ‘Thorough Review’ Is Over
Washington announced on July 3 that they were conducting a “thorough review” of the Redskins’ name and it appears that the organization has completed that review.
The franchise has faced backlash and pressure from several business partners to make a change. FedEx, which owns the naming rights to the team’s stadiums through 2025, called for a new team name recently. Amazon also pulled Redskins’ products.
“With the announcement from the Washington team and the NFL, we are removing products with the team’s name and logo from our stores,” an Amazon spokesperson told Annie Palmer of CNBC.com. “Failure to properly close or delete all restricted product listings from your inventory may result in deactivation.”
It was previously reported that Nike—the company that has provided the league with their official jerseys since 2012—believes Washington will change its name and has taken down the current team’s merchandise.
In addition to businesses pushing for a change, Washington D.C. mayor Murial Bowser, is pressing the organization. During a recent interview with The Team 980, she said its “past time” for the team to change the name.
The franchise will look for a new stadium over the next few years and if they want to go back to D.C., possibly at the old RFK location, then a name change might be necessary to receive city funding. Getting the NFL franchise to change its name in addition to returning to D.C. will be quite a win for Mayor Bower.
Bowser has previously endorsed the team coming back to D.C., saying that “all of our teams should be playing within our boundaries.” She proposed using the site of the old RFK Stadium, which is pending demolition.
It was previously reported that Redskins’ ownership was hesitant to change the name of the team and getting Synder to see things differently was a difficult process. Yet, it appears that the owner has come around on the team name that he once said would “never” change.
What Will Washington’s New Team Name Be?
The new team name isn’t expected to be announced on Monday, as the organization is still working through trademark issues.
According to Pro Football Talk, the organization may have to deal with a trademark squatter, who has filed applications for several potential names. Martin McCaulay has reportedly spent upwards of $20,000 to gain the rights to many names, including the following: Americans, Bravehearts, Federals, Forces, Founders, Gladiators, Monuments, Natives, Pandas, Pigskins, Red-Tailed Hawks, Renegades, Sharks, Veterans, and Tribe.
We know that the team will continue to use the burgundy and gold colors. However, the logo will not feature any Native-American imagery. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins recently suggested the Redtails as a new team name.
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Redskins Will Officially Change Team Name: Report