Washington Redskins name change expected soon

By Sam Robinson

Washington is expected to have a new team name by the start of the season. After years of a hardline stance against moving on from the controversial “Redskins” moniker, Daniel Snyder is “committed” to changing the name by the start of the season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

A new name could be coming within days, with Yahoo’s Charles Robinson indicating during an appearance on Saturday Sports Brunch with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill and ESPN 103.3’s D.J. Ringgenberg that a change is “imminent” (Twitter link). This was the expected course of action, but Washington will almost certainly not have a farewell season for this oft-scrutinized team identity.

This comes after FedEx and other sponsors applied pressure on the franchise to change the team name it has used for 87 years. The Redskins play at FedEx Field. The company sent a letter to the franchise July 2 threatening to remove its signage from the stadium after the 2020 season if the name wasn’t changed, Liz Clarke of the Washington Post reports. The parties agreed to a naming rights deal in 1999; that pact runs through 2027.

The Boston Braves became the Boston Redskins in 1933, the franchise’s second year. Should Washington unveil a new team name, it will mark the first NFL mascot change since the Tennessee Oilers became the Titans in 1999 in the franchise’s third season upon relocating from Houston.

Washington’s new team, as of now, is on track to keep the same color scheme, John Keim of ESPN.com notes. The new name will not feature Native American imagery, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The latest Las Vegas odds favor “Redtails,” “Generals,” and “Presidents” to become the new name.

Read the original story in Pro Football Rumors