Commanders exec makes clear going back to Redskins nickname is ‘not something we’re able to do’

The Washington Commanders’ nickname has been a thorny issue for the organization since it changed from the Redskins before the start of the 2020 season.

The football team had been known as the Redskins since 1933, when the team was originally based in Boston. The franchise won three Super Bowls and two NFL Championships as the Redskins. But continued racism accusations over the nickname and a summer of racial unrest made former team owner Daniel Snyder officially move on from it altogether.

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Dec. 4, 2016, Glendale, AZ: Detailed view of a Washington Redskins logo on a helmet against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

The Redskins changed to the Washington Football Team and then to the Commanders in 2022.

Even as petitions and rallies have called for the team to return to their old nickname, team marketing executive Patrick Arthur made clear to The Washington Post that there was no going back.

“We would love to have them back when they’re ready,” he said in story published Friday. “Honestly, it’s on their terms. As our ownership has said, we’re not going back to the old name. That’s not something we’re able to do. But we’re going to carry as many traditions (as we can), and a lot of what we do (is) going to honor the past. And when they’re ready to come back, we can’t wait to have them, whether it’s wearing our merchandise or wearing the old gear.”

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Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrates after catching a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Baltimore.  (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Arthur added that it was “important” to write a new chapter in the organization’s history.

Now, the new chapter is firmly with quarterback Jayden Daniels at the helm. He’s garnered Offensive Rookie of the Year attention through the first six weeks of the season.

Blackfoot chief John Two Guns White Calf, left, who served as the inspiration for the Washington Redskins logo (right), which represented the NFL franchise on the field from 1972 to 2020. The franchise’s original logo from its founding in 1932 was inspired by Lenni Lenape chief Tammany, dubbed “The Patron Saint of America” by the Founding Fathers and the generation that fought the American Revolution.  (Getty Images)

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Daniels has 1,404 passing yards and six touchdown passes as Washington held control of the AFC East with a 4-2 record after Week 6.

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