Washington’s NFL team announces the official retirement of the ‘Redskins’ name and logo

The pro football franchise that now calls Washington D.C. its home was originally founded in 1932 in Boston. The team was nicknamed the Braves back then but to avoid any confusion with a local baseball team of the same name decided to move forward as the “Boston Redskins” the following year — a name that stuck even when the organization relocated from the city to the nation’s capital in 1937. That is, it stuck until today.

After years of controversy and debate, the team of owner Dan Snyder announced on Monday morning that the Washington NFL team would move forward under a new name and with a new logo. No timeline was given for both, but the old ones were officially retired as per the club’s statement:

On July 3rd, we announced the commencement of a thorough review of the team’s name. 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.

Dan Snyder and Coach Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance our standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years.

The decision to retire the name is the final act and culmination of almost three decades of dispute and litigation. The first case to change the name was filed in 1992, but it took until the social justice protests following the murder of George Floyd earlier this year for the organization to conduct a proper review and come to the eventual decision to indeed drop the “Redskins” moniker and replace it with a more appropriate name and logo.

This decision makes Washington’s football franchise the first in the league to change its name since the Tennessee Oilers were re-named as the Tennessee Titans in 1999.