The review — a prelude to a potential change — comes after years of protest from those who find the name offensive and defiance from the team’s owner.
The Washington Redskins announced Friday that they would begin “a thorough review of the team’s name.”
“In light of recent events around our country and feedback from our community, the Washington Redskins are announcing the team will undergo a thorough review of the team’s name,” it said.
The brief news release included the word “redskins” seven times. The announcement was disclosed by ESPN, and came one day after FedEx, the shipping giant that has a $205 million naming rights deal for Washington’s home stadium, said it had told the team it wanted the name to be changed.
In a statement on NFL.com, Roger Goodell, the league’s commissioner, said the league was supportive of the move and had been discussing the name with the team’s owner, Dan Snyder, in recent weeks.
Snyder, who has resisted changing the name for years, said the review would let the team get input from all corners.
“This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football League and the local community,” Snyder said in the statement.
The team’s coach, Ron Rivera, said, “This issue is of personal importance to me and I look forward to working closely with Dan Snyder to make sure we continue the mission of honoring and supporting Native Americans and our military.”
Whatever its conclusions, the review is a culmination of years of protest and defiance over a nickname that many Native Americans and other advocates for change consider deeply offensive.
A look at the history of the team and its name:
1769 The first known use of the word “redskin,” in the papers of Sir William Johnson.
