Washington's NFL Team Changing Name and Logo After Years of Backlash

Washington's NFL team is changing its name and logo after years of backlash. A new name has yet to be announced.

By Elyse Dupre Jul 13, 2020 3:33 PMTags
Watch: Washington's NFL Team Retiring Name & Logo

Washington's NFL team is changing its name. The organization announced the news on Monday.

"On July 3, we announced the commencement of a thorough review of the team's name," the organization said in a statement. "That review has begun in earnest. As part of this process, we want to keep our sponsors, fans and community apprised of our thinking as we go forward. Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review."

While a new name has yet to be announced, the football franchise revealed its owner Dan Snyder and head coach Ron Rivera "are working closely to develop a new name and design approach." The organization stated these changes "will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years."

The announcement came 10 days after the organization announced its plans to "undergo a thorough review of the team's name." NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he and Snyder "are supportive of this important step."

"This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football League and the local community it is proud to represent on and off the field," Snyder said in a statement earlier this month.

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In addition, Rivera said "this issue is of personal importance" to him and that he looked forward to working with Snyder to make sure they "continue the mission of honoring and supporting Native Americans and our Military."

For years, Snyder said he would "never" change the team name. However, the organization faced criticism that the name and logo are offensive to Native Americans. National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) President Fawn Sharp called the name a "dictionary-defined racial slur."

Recently, sponsors, including FedEx, called for the team to change its name. Adweek reported that 87 investment firms and shareholders worth about $620 billion sent letters urging FedEx, Nike and PepsiCo to stop doing business with the team unless the change was made. According to NBC News, Amazon also joined Target and Walmart in refusing to carry products featuring the Washington team's name earlier this month.

The football franchise isn't the only team to recently review its name. The MLB's Cleveland Indians also recently announced it is engaging its community and stakeholders "to determine the best path forward" regarding its team name.