If you walk through the streets of D.C. today, you’ll see a city in transition. Not just the politics—that’s always a mess—but the literal fabric of the sports culture. You’ll see old-timers in faded burgundy jackets with a Native American profile on the sleeve. You’ll see younger fans in crisp, black “Commanders” hoodies. And then there are the folks stuck in the middle, wearing jerseys that simply say “Washington Football Team” in gold block letters.
It’s been a wild ride. Honestly, the Washington NFL team name has been more of a soap opera than a sports story for the better part of a decade.
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People think the name change was a sudden reaction to the 2020 protests. It wasn’t. This was a slow-burn disaster that took decades to reach a boiling point. By the time FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo threatened to pull their money, the writing wasn't just on the wall; the wall was falling down. But how did we get from a proud, 87-year history to a name that many fans still sort of... tolerate?
The Name Nobody Wants to Say Anymore
Let’s be real. The old name, the Redskins, is a slur to many and a cherished memory to others. That’s the core of the friction. George Preston Marshall, the team's original owner and a guy known for being the last to integrate his roster, picked the name back in 1933. He’d just moved the "Boston Braves" to Fenway Park and wanted to keep the Native American theme but differentiate them from the baseball Braves.
For years, the team claimed the name honored coach William “Lone Star” Dietz. But historians have poked holes in that for a long time. Whether it was meant as an honor or not, the world changed.
By the 1990s, the protests were loud. Native American groups like the National Congress of American Indians were filing trademark lawsuits. Dan Snyder, who bought the team in 1999, famously told USA Today in 2013, “We’ll never change the name. It’s that simple. NEVER—you can use caps.”
Caps didn't help.
The pressure became economic. In July 2020, investors worth over $600 billion sent letters to major sponsors. When Nike pulled the gear from its website, the "never" became "now."
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That Weird Two-Year "Football Team" Phase
For two seasons, the team was just the Washington Football Team. It was basically the "generic brand" of NFL franchises. You know, like the white cans of beer in 1970s movies that just say BEER.
Surprisingly, people kinda liked it. It was clean. It was weirdly sophisticated. It felt like a European soccer club. While the front office was scouring through over 40,000 fan submissions for a permanent brand, fans were getting used to the numbers on the side of the helmets.
There was a real push for "RedWolves" or "RedHogs." People wanted that "Red" prefix to stay so they could keep some of the old cheers. But trademark issues are a nightmare. You can’t just pick a name because it sounds cool; you have to own it.
On February 2, 2022, they finally dropped the news: The Washington Commanders.
Why "Commanders" and Will It Ever Change Again?
The choice of "Commanders" was meant to lean into the military history of D.C. Think about it—the Pentagon, the Commander-in-Chief, the Navy’s presence. It was safe. Maybe a little too safe.
A 2024 Washington Post poll found that a huge chunk of local fans still don't like the name. It feels corporate. It feels like a Madden expansion team. But here’s the thing: Josh Harris, who bought the team from Snyder in 2023 for a staggering $6.05 billion, has been pretty firm.
In a press conference early in 2025, Harris basically said the name is staying. He’s focused on the culture and the actual football. And honestly? Winning fixes everything. When Jayden Daniels led the team to the NFC Championship Game in early 2025, people stopped complaining about the logo and started buying the hats.
Harris has signaled that while the name is staying, the "look" might evolve. We’ve seen him lean back into the classic burgundy and gold. He knows the history is the asset, even if the old name is a liability.
The Real Timeline of the Washington NFL Team Name
To keep it straight, here is how the branding has actually shifted over nearly a century:
- 1932: Founded as the Boston Braves.
- 1933: Renamed the Boston Redskins.
- 1937: Moved to D.C. to become the Washington Redskins.
- 2020: The name is retired; the "Washington Football Team" era begins.
- 2022: Officially rebranded as the Washington Commanders.
- 2023: Josh Harris takes over, signaling a "new era" but keeping the name.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that there’s a secret plan to go back to the old name. There isn’t.
Josh Harris grew up a fan of the team. He knows the nostalgia is powerful. But the NFL is a global business, and you can’t have a slur as your primary brand in 2026. It’s a non-starter for sponsorships, and the league office would never allow it.
Another myth? That "Commanders" was the fans' first choice. It wasn't even in the top three of most informal polls. Names like "Warriors" were tossed out because they still felt too close to the old imagery. "RedWolves" had trademark conflicts with other organizations. Commanders was the path of least resistance.
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Why It Still Matters in 2026
The name change wasn't just about a logo on a helmet. It was about a total organizational scrub. Under Dan Snyder, the franchise was a mess of lawsuits, toxic workplace allegations, and a stadium (then FedEx Field, now Northwest Stadium) that was literally falling apart.
Changing the Washington NFL team name was the first domino to fall. It signaled that the old way of doing business—defiant, insular, and stuck in the past—was over.
Now, the focus is on a new stadium. Whether it ends up back at the old RFK site in D.C. or stays in Maryland or Virginia, the "Commanders" identity is being built into the architecture. You don't spend billions on a new stadium for a "temporary" name.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're a fan or a collector, the shifting identity of this team has actually created some unique opportunities.
1. Keep the "Football Team" Gear
The two-year window of the Washington Football Team was so short that the merchandise is becoming a bit of a cult classic. It’s the "rare" era of the franchise. If you have a Chase Young jersey with the "WFT" branding, hold onto it.
2. Focus on the Colors, Not the Logo
The most successful fan gear right now is the "throwback" style that uses the classic burgundy and gold without the specific retired imagery. It’s a way to show you’re a lifer without getting into a political debate at the grocery store.
3. Watch the Stadium News
The name is officially staying, but the brand identity will likely undergo a "refinement" when the new stadium deal is finalized (targeted for 2030). Expect the logo to get a tweak to look less like a generic "W" and more like something with actual heritage.
The story of the Washington NFL team name is finally moving out of the courtroom and back onto the field. It took a long time to get here—too long, many would say. But for the first time in decades, the conversation in D.C. is actually about the quarterback, not the dictionary.
To really move forward, the organization has to keep embracing the "Commanders" title while finding ways to honor the legends like Darrell Green and John Riggins who made the burgundy and gold famous in the first place. It's a delicate balance, but the momentum is finally shifting.