Washington Commanders: NFL franchise reveals new team name

By Eric Levenson and Jack Bantock, CNN

Updated 1318 GMT (2118 HKT) February 2, 2022

Washington Football Team helmets are seen at the team's training center on July 29, 2021 in Richmond, Virginia.

(CNN)The National Football League's Washington franchise unveiled its new team name on Wednesday — the Washington Commanders.

Accompanied by a new logo, the changes come about 18 months after the franchise ditched the «Redskins» name for its racist connotations.The team had competed as the Washington Football Team for the past two seasons but will continue to use its burgundy and gold color scheme.Former Washington quarterback Joe Theismann looked to have prematurely leaked the new name on Monday after calling the team «the Commanders» on CBS Sports Radio's «The D.A. Show.»Theismann's reveal was then seemingly confirmed on Tuesday after helicopter footage above Washington's FedEx Field Stadium appeared to show the new name emblazoned on a sign inside the team store. Read MoreLast month, team president Jason Wright had ruled out the new name changing to «Wolves» or «RedWolves» due to trademark issues.«We are very excited about our final selection, which aligns with our values, carries forth our rich history, represents the region and, most importantly, is inspired and informed by you, our fans,» Wright said.The change stems from Washington's July 2020 decision to drop its «Redskins» name and logo after decades of criticism from Native American groups who said it was an ethnic slur and a derogatory reference to skin color.Once one of the NFL's flagship franchises, Washington has won just two playoff games since Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999 and has been a consistent source of dysfunction and scandal in recent years.The rise