The Washington Football Team revealed its new team name Wednesday to be the Washington Commanders, ending 18 months of anticipation and beginning a new era for the team.
The new team name is a connection to Washington, D.C.’s military ties. Team President Jason Wright confirmed the name and said he believes the name reflects the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area.
“It’s a name befitting a 90-year-old franchise,” Wright said on the Today show. “It’s something that broadly resonated with our fans and something that we believe embodies the values of service and leadership that really defines the DMV and this community.”
WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM TEASES NEW NAME ANNOUNCEMENT, RULES OUT FAN FAVORITE
The Twitter account for the team has now been changed to reflect the new name, logo, and uniform.
“One legacy. One unified future. We are the Washington Commanders, #TakeCommand,” the team’s Twitter account announced Wednesday morning.
The future of Washington football is here #TakeCommand pic.twitter.com/MwkCLTkVAA
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) February 2, 2022
The team, formerly known as the Washington Redskins, announced the decision to change the team name and imagery in July 2020 after facing increasing pressure as critics argued it was racist and insensitive to Native Americans. The NFL franchise had been going by the generic Washington Football Team moniker since July 2020.
Last month, fans suspected they caught a glimpse of the new name when a tech company, MarkMonitor, purchased the domain name commanders.com. Former Washington quarterback Joe Theismann also dropped the name “commanders” during an interview Monday with CBS Sports Radio’s Damon Amendolara.
“I think the Commanders is a name that is going to be, hopefully, one that people talk about going forward,” Theismann said. “Commander, basically, is Washington D.C. A lot of commanders in Washington D.C., in the Pentagon and a lot of different branches of the service. So, to me, that’s really the way I’m looking at it, as positions of leadership when it comes to the name.”
On the eve of the announcement, a chopper for NBC Washington caught a glimpse of a sign or banner that has the name “Commanders” written on it through the windows at FedEx Field.
The Washington team received more than 40,000 name idea submissions that were whittled down to eight in September.
On an ESPN podcast, Washington’s CEO Tanya Snyder revealed eight unofficial name finalists, including the Washington Armada, Brigade, Commanders, Defenders, Presidents, Red Hogs, Red Wolves, and the Washington Football Team. However, the Red Wolves name was eliminated last month due to copyright problems. Team President Jason Wright said other names were still in consideration.
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Despite the name change, other aspects of the team’s imagery remains the same. This includes ownership, players, and team colors of gold, burgundy, and white.
The team was founded as the Boston Braves in 1932 and became the Redskins the following year. The team moved to Washington, D.C., in 1937. The franchise has three Super Bowl wins.
