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Washington Football Team to Reveal New Name, Logo in Early 2022
July 10, 2021
Plans are in place for the Washington Football Team to introduce a new name and logo next year.
In an interview with Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, team president Jason Wright said the process will be completed in early 2022.
Washington played under the Washington Football Team name last season and will do so again in 2021. Its previous name was changed because it was a slur toward Indigenous people in the United States.
Washington had played under its previous nickname since 1933, when the franchise was in Boston. While team owner Daniel Snyder opposed changing the name for many years, he finally relented last year amid pressure from the public and corporate sponsors.
The first season under the Football Team name was an unexpected success, as Washington won the NFC East and reached the playoffs.
Although Washington went just 7-9 and didn't get particularly good quarterback play from the likes of Alex Smith and Dwayne Haskins, it was enough to win a division title in one of the weakest divisions in NFL history.
Washington was a feel-good story, as head coach Ron Rivera made the playoffs in his first season with the team and had been receiving cancer treatment up to October. He was declared cancer-free in January.
Also, Smith was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year after missing the entire 2019 season with a career-threatening leg injury suffered in Week 11 of the 2018 season.
Defense was the biggest reason for Washington's success, as the team ranked second in total defense and fourth in points allowed.
Defensive end Chase Young, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, finished with 7.5 sacks, was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl.
Expectations are high for the team in 2021, as it returns largely the same defense and added veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The Football Team name has been embraced in many circles, and there was some thought that it could stick, but Wright's comments suggest a rebrand is coming.
Per Jhabvala, the Washington Football Team hired digital creative agency Code and Theory to sift through 40,000 submissions from fans and other sources in order to settle on a name and logo.
While that will represent a significant change, Wright noted that Washington's burgundy-and-gold color scheme will remain in place.