Washington NFL Franchise to Play as "Washington Football Team" Until New Name Is Chosen
After officially retiring its controversial name and logo last week.
After raised scrutiny in recent weeks and pressure from corporate sponsors like FedEx, Pepsi and Walmart, Washington’s NFL franchise officially dropped its racially charged “Redskins” name, and will now play as the “Washington Football Team.” Announced via an official press release on the team’s website, the change is effective immediately and will remain in place “pending adoption of a new team name.”
Beginning on Friday, July 24 and running over the next 50 days, the team will work to remove all old branding from FedEx Field (its home stadium), training facilities and all other “digital and physical spaces.” Pending COVID-19 coronavirus-related complications, the Washington Football Team is set to begin its season with a home opener against NFC East rival and 2018 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles on September 13. Washington Football Team merchandise is also set to be available from Fanatics and the NFL shop in the coming days.
Mock-ups posted on the team’s page show familiar red, yellow and white jerseys, but replace the old chief logo on the helmets with collegiate-style player numbers. Discussion around the team’s new name has been active in recent days, with a man named Phillip Martin McCauley going as far as registering a number of trademarks for potential team names, then telling CNN he’d offered them to the Washington Football Team and the NFL free of charge.
See the full statement and uniform mock-ups via the Washington Football Team’s website. For more sports uniform news, check out AS Roma‘s 2020/21 home kits, which pay homage to its 1980 Italian Cup win.
