Redskins Retire Team Name, Logo
The Washington Redskins are no more.
The team announced Monday they are retiring the franchise's current nickname and logo.
The team did not reveal its new name, however, reportedly due to pending trademark considerations.
The change comes days after FedEx, the sponsor of Washington's stadium, reportedly told the team it would remove its signage if the name were not changed.
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pushed "very hard" for the move:
"Goodell had tried to nudge Snyder toward a change in the past. Goodell seized the current moment to go 'full force' toward persuading Snyder to make the change."
Following the announcement, FOX Sports' Mark Schlereth, who won Super Bowl XXVI with Washington, eloquently made the case that what matters is the legacy of the team, asking rhetorically, "What's in a nickname?"
And given that the pending change had been reported for over a week, many were already discussing what the new nickname might be.
A likely candidate seems to be "Warriors," a name Snyder previously attempted to trademark and had considered for a potential Arena Football League team to which he owned the rights.
However, as previously mentioned, there are reportedly complications with the trademark process for that moniker.
Several media members in Washington seem to believe Warriors is the "leader in the clubhouse," as well.
There has also been speculation about the name "Redtails," which was supported by Washington QB Dwayne Haskins and which would honor the Tuskegee Airmen.
A graphic shared by NBC Sports Washington's JP Finlay purportedly showed the strongest support for both Warriors and Redtails throughout the country, with the D.C. region apparently preferring Warriors.
Last week, one sportsbook listed odds on Washington's potential new name. Neither Redtails nor Warriors was on the list, with "Presidents," "Generals" and "Lincolns" the three favorites.
The Generals are famously associated with basketball's Harlem Globetrotters, who own the rights to the name "Washington Generals," but are reportedly willing to discuss a deal with Snyder.
According to Adam Schefter, no matter what the new nickname is, all Native American imagery will be removed.
The colors will stay the same burgundy and gold.
Schefter also reported Monday morning that with training camp around the corner, Washington will want to announce its new nickname sooner rather than later, a nickname that he believes the franchise has already decided on.
"I believe they have the name. I believe we're just waiting on legal formalities here before they actually can announce that name. That could come as early as this week ... The sooner they can get it out, the more merchandise they can sell."
The Redskins have resisted pressure to change their nickname over the years, but after a push from business partners, fans and retailers in light of the death of George Floyd on May 25, the franchise decided to undergo a “thorough review” of the team’s name.
Last week, Nike removed all Redskins merchandise from its website.
Many retailers followed suit, including Target, Walmart and Amazon, before Washington made the move on Monday.
This is a developing story.