Officially Revealed: the Washington Commanders

The Washington Football Team officially unveiled their new team name Wednesday morning, after an 18-month-long decision-making process: the Washington Commanders.

The future of Washington football is here #TakeCommand pic.twitter.com/MwkCLTkVAA

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) February 2, 2022

The team was known as the Redskins for more than 80 years, up until the 2020-2021 NFL season.

Mounting Pressure Leads to the Name Change

Back in May 2020, the death of George Floyd sparked a country-wide discussion on racism and created a newfound awareness for where it exists in everyday life. The then-named Washington Redskins became the subject of much scrutiny. For months, owner Dan Snyder was pressured to drop the ‘Redskins’ name and its disrespect to Native American culture. For a while, he refused. Though, pressure from investors, major sponsorships and even the team’s arena was substantial. The financial impact at stake became too significant for Snyder to ignore.

In July 2020, Snyder and his team announced their temporary name and logo as the Washington Football Team. This would act as a placeholder until a new name would be officially announced.

18 months and two NFL seasons later, the Washington Commanders have arrived.

Why ‘Commanders?’

The announcement has people wondering how the team landed where it did – who made the decision and why.

In the early-months, focus groups containing fans were the central point of the process. Team officials took away from those groups what they felt like were the ideals necessary for the new team name to convey.

The year-and-a-half long process involved input from both players and fans. Tens of thousands of fan submissions led to twelve possible team names. These were eventually whittled down to a final three. Just about every department involved in the franchise, in addition to Nike and the NFL, played a part in the filtering down of names.

While the team didn’t end up releasing its official “top 3,” it’s known that the decision to go with ‘Commanders’ was made this past Fall.

Logos, Jerseys and Reactions

After the decision was finally made, tons of time, effort and thought went in to the branding. Code & Theory, the company that designed the team’s jerseys when it became the Football Team, was once again called upon for the Commanders. Nike designed the helmets.

New name, new marks pic.twitter.com/KxN5pWg4X1

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) February 2, 2022

Forever a tradition: Burgundy & Gold pic.twitter.com/RSNEx96TI5

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) February 2, 2022

The initial reaction has been mostly positive.

Players, such as tackle Jonathan Allen and star defensive end Chase Young, have been open with support for their new identity as Commanders. Head Coach Ron Rivera has expressed his excitement, looking forward to the new name and branding representing what the organization hopes to be. Fans, overall, have mixed reactions. Formerly-potential names like Red Wolves, Red Tails and Red Hogs lost, which upset some fans. Others, however, appreciate the ideals and messages that the Commanders stands for.

Regardless of how fans currently feel, and of any ailments people may have, there is one truth that lies within nearly all team-related sports issues.

Winning cures all.

When it’s all said and done, the team will have a clear-cut priority at the top of their list heading into the 2022-2023 NFL season: to win games.

Introducing: the Washington Commanders.