Washington Commanders It Is: ‘Football Team’ Officially Changes Name

At long last, the worst-kept secret in the NFL is official: The Washington Football Team is now the Washington Commanders.

Washington made it official Wednesday morning, ending whatever suspense was left after the new name and logo had been leaked all over the internet in the days leading up to the announcement.

Regardless, here’s the new look for the club.

And here’s a video announcing the change.

It very much is whatever.

“This new identity embodies the most powerful aspects of Washington’s story by paying tribute to the team’s rich history and championship culture, personified by mission-driven players who take command, forge success and break barriers on and off the field,” the team said in a release on its website.

The organization also added this explanation for the new look: “The primary logo of the Washington Commanders is a powerful ‘W.’ This symbol carries forward an element of the Washington Football Team chapter in the franchise’s history and acknowledges the team’s deep Washington roots, while the W’s angled cuts, bolded lines and serifs signify forward movement and progress. The slanted elements of the stripes bordering the “W” are inspired by military rank insignia, helping to infuse the familiar mark with elements of the team’s new identity. In the wordmark, ‘WASHINGTON’ introduces the tall and proud letters of the team’s name. The cuts of the ‘C’ lead the eye across the mark and the two stripes that frame the name pay homage to the D.C. flag and give the mark a sense of power and authority.”

This is the Commanders’ second name change in the last few years. They were known as the Redskins, of course, dating back to 1933, a name change they made after the first season as the Boston Braves football team. The club moved to Washington, D.C., in 1937 and remained the Redskins until 2020 when it dropped the name and logo under pressure from sponsors for being racist against Native Americans.