NFL Rumors: Washington ‘likely’ to change ‘Redskins’ name

The Redskins name could no longer be a part of the NFL.

For years, NFL fans and many others have decried the Washington Redskins to change their name due to its offensive nature to the Native American people which it derogatorily depicts. Yet, Washington team owner Dan Snyder has yet to institute the change. That may very well be changing as the 2020 season approaches.

On Friday, the Redskins organization released a statement saying that they will be making a “thorough review” of the nickname situation. This comes as pressure has been mounting once again from the general public and for high-profile companies associated with the franchise and the league in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

Among the companies who have reportedly applied pressure on Snyder and Washington are FedEx, who has the naming rights to the team’s stadium and asked the team to change the offensive name. There are also reports that Nike and PepsiCo are involved to varying degrees in pressuring Washington.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also released a statement on Friday, saying that he and the league had been speaking with Snyder over the past week and ultimately declared that he would support a decision to change the Redskins name.

It’s ‘likely’ that the Redskins will change their name.

With the statement out of Washington and the support of the league amidst the sponsor pressure, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that his sources lead him to believe that a name change is “likely”.

Though many people would argue that is shouldn’t take this, money talks when it comes to NFL owners. So with big-time sponsors such as FedEx and Nike involved, it’s increasingly clear as to why Washington would be taking never-before-seen steps towards a potential name change.

As for right now, the Redskins remain in the nation’s capital. But if things proceed as they currently are, that may not be the case for much longer as Washington’s NFL franchise could very well have a new nickname.