It’s official: Washington Football Team selects ‘Commanders’ as new name

Update (Feb. 2, 2022): The Washington Football team announced Wednesday it will be going with the “Commanders” for its new name. The video above includes clips from the team’s uniform unveiling Wednesday. The reveal comes 18 months after the team dropped its “Redskins” moniker due to criticism saying the old name was offensive to Native Americans. In a news release, the team said its new name “embodies the most powerful aspects of Washington’s story by paying tribute to the team’s rich history and championship culture, personified by mission-driven players who take command, forge success and break barriers on and off the field.”

“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,” Washington owner Dan Snyder said the news release. “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 & Gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington. Today may mark the first day for the Washington Commanders, but we are and always will be Washington.”

Update (Jan. 27, 2022): Just under a week before the Washington Football Team was set to reveal its new name, that name may have already been leaked. A Washington fan who goes by “Larry Legend” on Twitter appears to have been tracking the rumored names on internet domain registrar GoDaddy. Wednesday night, he tweeted that he found evidence the Washington Football Team will become the Washington Commanders.

“The http://Commanders.com domain was transferred from Namecheap to MarkMonitor (same company NFL uses for all their domains) as of 7:34pm EST,” Legend Tweeted.

It’s important to note that the domain transfer, if valid, may not be conclusive evidence of the name change. However, this isn’t the first time a potential leak indicating Commanders would be the new name bubbled up on social media.

Original Story (Jan. 4, 2022): In a Tuesday morning news release, Washington Football Team President Jason Wright said the team will announce its new name Feb. 2. The former Redskins retired the name back in 2020, becoming the first team in the four major North American professional sports leagues to move away from Native American imagery. Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team followed suit, changing its name from the Indians to the Guardians. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves and the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks have defended keeping their names.

“We are confident that this identity is one that our team and our fans across D.C., Maryland, Virginia and beyond can rally behind for another 90 years and more as we continue to cheer on the burgundy and gold in this next chapter,” Wright said in the release. Among the finalists for the new name:

• Commanders
• Admirals
• Armada
• Brigade
• Sentinels
• Defenders
• Red Hogs
• Presidents
• Keeping the “Washington Football Team” name

In addition to the date for the announcement of the new Washington Football Team name, Wright officially eliminated two options from consideration. The Wolves and the RedWolves were two popular choices among Washington fans. However, Wright said the team is not considering those options due to trademarks held by other organizations.

“Understanding the weight and importance of our team name, and excitement around other name options — both internally and within our fan base — we didn’t want to risk going down a route that could be dotted with legal hurdles,” Wright said. “The prospect of years of litigation wasn’t something that we wanted you, our fans, to have to bear as you begin to embrace a new brand.”

According to an episode of the team-produced show “Making the Brand” released Tuesday, the new Washington Football Team helmets and uniforms will feature the franchise’s signature burgundy-and-gold colors, with three stars on the collar and stripes on the shoulders of otherwise plain jerseys. In a “Making the Brand” clip showing him getting a look at one of the helmets, head coach Ron Rivera said: “I love this. Right on. I think the look’s going to be hot.”