Washington Makes It Clear Team Won't Return To Redskins Nickname

Published|Updated

With Washington's NFL franchise entering its second year under a new ownership group after finally cutting ties with former owner Dan Snyder, the team is doing everything in its power to keep the past in the past. Anyone holding out hope that the franchise would return to its Redskins nickname will have to wait a while, perhaps forever.

The franchise got rid of the Redskins nickname following the 2019 NFL season and played the following two campaigns as the Washington Football Team and now enter year three as the Commanders. It's unclear if the franchise will keep the Commanders nickname for years to come, but if it does opt for yet another refresh it will not involve the term Redskins.

According to NFL insider Ari Meirov, Washington owner Josh Harris reiterated on Sunday that the team won't return to the old nickname and said it will steer clear for "obvious reasons."

The "obvious reasons" Harris mentioned involve the league and some fans finding ‘Redskins’ to be a racist term.

In September 2023, a Native American group filed a federal lawsuit against the Washington Commanders for defamation, civil conspiracy and civil rights violations for their role in suppressing Native American history.

The Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) led an online petition this past summer demanding that the organization reclaim its original "Redskins" nickname. The petition garnered over 150,000 signatures.

"Commanders is a fitting name for oppressors," the suit stated.

The complaint also lists the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). The NCAI was a key piece in forcing the then-Washington Redskins to change their nickname. NAGA claimed that the NCAI contributes to a legacy of cultural oppression suffered by indigenous people.

The Redskins logo was designed by Blackfoot tribal leader Walter "Blackie" Wetzel (who was actually president of the NCAI from 1961 to 1964) with input and support from Native American communities.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.