After nearly three decades of turmoil and mediocrity under owner previous owner Dan Snyder, the Washington Commanders took a significant step into a new era on the field in 2024.
With presumptive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels at quarterback, Washington went 12-5 and won its first playoff games since the 2005 season en route to its first NFC championship game appearance since the 1991 season.
Josh Harris isn't interested in messing with the mojo now.
The majority Commanders owner was asked at a news conference Monday about the potential of changing the team's name to something else. It's not going to happen.
"Yeah, yes," Harris responded when asked if the Commanders name is here to stay. "I think it's now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff. And so, we're going with that."
Dear Washington football fans,
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) February 3, 2025
The Commanders team name is here to stay.
Source: team owner Josh Harris
P.S. - please no more questions about this, it's not changing. pic.twitter.com/8zjfK3aPgx
The Commanders name was introduced in 2022 to a significant amount of ridicule. It was the culmination of an 18-month process to find a permanent name after the team's longtime name that was retired amid criticism that it's a racial slur.
Many found "Commanders" to be uninspired.
But winning changes everything, and Harris is ready to embrace the "Commanders" name that's now associated with the franchise's best season in more than three decades.
"Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something," <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1dH_ppYva0">Harris continued</a>. "It means that it's about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It's really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning."
Harris grew up a fan of the franchise and has heard the calls to revive the retired team name associated with the franchise's 80s and 90s glory days that produced three Super Bowl championship under head coach Joe Gibbs. Harris said that he's here to honor that past. But the former name is not coming back.
"As far as rebranding and bringing our past, which obviously I grew up with and all the Super Bowl championships and our future together, you're going to see us head back toward honoring our past and bringing it together with our future."
