Washington Football Team could become the NFL franchise’s permanent name, team president Jason Wright told ESPN’s John Keim.
“It’s definitely in the running,” Wright said. “I don’t think anything is off the table. … With this one, people are excited about the idea of a club has an identity rooted solely in the area it represents. Maybe it’s Football Team or it’s Football Club. We need to get underneath the why, so no matter what direction we go, we can pull on the heartstrings of folks.”
Washington retired its previous name and logo in July following pressure from sponsors, including FedEx. The former name has long been deemed disparaging and racist to Native Americans. The team re-branded to “Washington Football Team” as a temporary name as the season approached.
Last month, Wright suggested there was a “pretty good chance” the name could remain through the 2021 season to allow time for a complete re-brand to a more permanent nickname, including trademarks, logo and uniform designs. However, Wright’s conversation with Keim suggests Washington Football Team or Club is a strong candidate to remain.
No matter what name Washington permanently settles on, the team has no plans to change their iconic color scheme.
“It would take a lot to change the burgundy and gold,” Wright said. “You can put that one in pen. I don’t see us moving off that at any point. That’s not actively being considered. … I’ll revise that if it happens, but I don’t see that happening.”
Washington has donned the burgundy and gold colors since the franchise moved from Boston to Washington in 1937.
