WASHINGTON, DC (Nexstar) - It has been almost two years since the Washington NFL franchise issued its name and logo for 87 years. The team will reveal its new identity in less than a month.
While we won't know the new name and logo until February 2nd, the team has announced that a fan-favorite rebranding suggestion won't be the last option.
In Tuesday's announcement, Washington football team president Jason Wright explained that the franchise would not select Wolves or Redwolves. He points out that while the Wolves and related variations were a top contender among fans, it has legality issues for the team.
According to Wright, other teams have trademarks that "would limit our ability to make the name our own." He adds that without Wolves, variants like RedWolves "would not have been viable for these and other reasons."
Other professional sports teams with Wolves, or some variation in their names, include the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, the University of Michigan Wolverines, and the Arkansas State Red Wolves.
Instead, Wright says the team's new name and identity "align with our values, carry forward our rich history, represent the region," and is "inspired and informed" by the team's fans.
Commander, Admiral, Armada, Brigade, Sentinel, Guard, Red Hog, President and the status quo "Washington Football Team" were among the other finalists for name suggestions.
While little has been revealed about the new uniform, the team will continue to use its similar color scheme of burgundy and gold. In a series of videos posted to Twitter on Tuesday, the team offered a glimpse of what the new uniforms would include.
In one, the team featured a diminutive helmet, with a base color of burgundy, with a gold stripe in the middle and a gold marking on each side. On the other hand, close-up shots of the jersey itself are visible. Again, the base color is burgundy with gold detailing, including jersey numbers, stripes on the shoulders, and stitched stars.
In July 2020, the Washington team announced that it was dropping the "Redskins" name and the Indian Head logo, succumbing to pressure from sponsors and decades of criticism that they were offensive to Native Americans.
Washington was the first team in the four major North American professional sports leagues to move away from the Native American spec amid national reckoning on the race. Cleveland followed suit in Major League Baseball, adopting the new name Guardian, which is now in effect after settling a lawsuit with a roller derby team of the same name.
MLB's Atlanta Braves and NHL's Chicago Blackhawks have defended their namesakes.