Say hello to the Commanders.
The NFL franchise in the nation's capital finally has a new nickname after more than a year without a permanent title. In 2022 and beyond, the team will be known as the Commanders.
Washington officially revealed its new team name Wednesday morning, bringing an end to a 20-month process that unfolded after the organization opted to drop its previous moniker. During the last two seasons, the franchise was known as the Washington Football Team.
“As an organization, we are excited to rally and rise together as one under our new identity while paying homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation's capital,” co-owner and co-CEO Dan Snyder said in a statement. “As we kick-off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us. We continue to honor and represent the Burgundy and Gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington. Today may mark the first day for the Washington Commanders, but we are and always will be Washington.”
Following the news of the reveal, a number of public figures weighed in on the name change. Commanders president Jason Wright was one of the first to try to encapsulate why the franchise chose the new moniker.
“Leadership, service, and a common, unifying mission to characterize this fan base and the DMV. A mission to live up to our championship legacy and win titles in burgundy and gold,” he wrote on Twitter.
Mayor of Washington D.C. Muriel Bowser expressed her excitement about the start of a new era for the franchise while also calling for the organization to move its home base from Landover, Md., to the nation's capital.
“Washington's football franchise has had a storied history, and we are excited that today they will begin a new, necessary chapter as the Washington Commanders. Sports mean so much to our civic pride and are an essential part of our economic engine, creating jobs and opportunity for our residents and revenue to fund essential services,” Bowser said in a statement Wednesday. “But for our football team, every major sports franchise in the region call DC home. The next chapter for the Washington Commanders should be a return to winning, right here in DC.”
The rest of the NFL world met the new "Commanders" nickname with a mixed reaction. Here's what a few fans and media members had to say about the beginning of a new era in Washington.
The new nickname was one of the worst-kept secrets in the nation's capital this week with various signs pointing to the “Commanders” moniker before the official reveal. Former franchise quarterback Joe Theismann let the news slip in a radio appearance Monday, and a local news helicopter captured footage of a Commanders sign in the window of the team facility Tuesday night.
Washington finished the 2021 season in third place in the NFC East with a 7–10 record.
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For more coverage of the Commanders, check out Washington Football.