By Syd Britt

Few organizations in the ever-changing history of sports have undergone as much change as the NFL’s Washington Commanders have in recent years. The franchise has not only gone through a highly publicized rebrand but also several internal changes and scandals that have changed the team’s identity. To my chagrin, I have been a fan of this team since 2010, meaning I have suffered from losing season after losing season all of these years. However, it appears that the Washington Commanders seem to be entering a more promising chapter, both on and off the field, as a result of these recent transformations.  

The Boston Braves’ logo. Photo credit: Sports Team History.

The Washington Commanders were originally founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves. A 1937 relocation to Washington, and the World Championship (now known as Super Bowl) that same year, led to the establishment of a team that would go on to become the face of the league. During its early years, the team had much success, winning five total world championships in the 20th century (two of the five championships coming before the Super Bowl Era: two World Championships and three Super Bowls). This success set the stage for a legacy that fans hoped would last many generations. 

Sammy Baugh. Photo credit: Associated Press/Sports Illustrated.

In the mid-1900s, the team, driven by well-known players such as Sammy Baugh, the first NFL quarterback to utilize the forward pass into a game, established itself as one of the better-known NFL franchises. Baugh played for the Redskins from 1937 to 1952. He led the league in passing yards for six seasons in the NFL and tallied two NFL Championships for the Redskins in 1937 and 1942. The Championship in 1937 was especially impressive for Baugh because that was the same year he was drafted into the NFL. In the Super Bowl Era, no rookie quarterback has ever even reached the big game, let alone won it. Before being the sixth player drafted into the NFL in 1937, Baugh played college football for Texas Christian University (TCU), where he was a two-time all-American. Baugh’s overall success is honored in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Professional Football Hall of Fame, being inducted in 1951 and 1963, respectively. 

Joe Gibbs. Photo credit: James Lang-USA TODAY.

Joe Gibbs was another influential character in the team’s history, serving as head coach from 1981 to 1992, and then again from 2004 to 2007. Gibbs was voted as the Associated Press’s (AP) Coach of the Year in 1982 and 1983. Gibbs has more head coaching victories than any other Washington head coach in the organization’s history, including eight playoff appearances, four NFC titles, and all three of the team’s Super Bowls, in 1983, 1988, and 1992. Gibbs not only led the team to plenty of victories on the scoreboard but also helped the city of Washington feel proud of their home team. 

During these successful times, the owner of the franchise was Jack Kent Cooke. Cooke became a majority owner in 1974 and the sole owner in 1985. Cooke is “widely regarded as the greatest owner in the history of professional sports,” claims Jack Kent Cooke’s Estate. Unfortunately, Cooke’s victorious ownership period ended in 1997 when he passed away; the team was not officially sold until 1999, however, to the highest bidder, businessman Daniel Marc Snyder. The days of victories and triumph would soon come to a screeching halt in Washington under the leadership of Snyder; the darkest days were ahead. 

Jack Kent Cooke. Photo credit: Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

In more recent times, the official announcement of the team’s decision to retire its long-standing name, the Washington Redskins, came on July 13, 2020. The change was made in response to complaints over the name “Redskins” and that it was disrespectful to Native American cultures. The name was perceived as disrespectful, too, by the empathetic public. People all around the country raised awareness and highlighted how the team needed to change their name. Around the time of the name change, the killing of George Floyd, subsequent protests, and other similar incidents brought more attention to the conflicts surrounding racism in the US and the controversy of the Redskins name.

It was not just the Washington Redskins who were under fire for having an inappropriate name, however. The MLB’s Cleveland Indians faced similar criticism and also ended up changing their brand in July 2021, becoming the Cleveland Guardians. 

Like most changes, the removal of the historic name “Redskins” caused a storm of debate among both the general public and supporters. Supporters of the name change praised the franchise for standing up to racism and making a step forward. NPR’s Emma Bowman’s 2022 NPR report stated that the name Redskins “is offensive to many Indigenous people who viewed the name and branding as both a slur and a disparaging stereotype grounded in America’s history of violence against Native peoples.” Other fans saw the name change as an erasing of the heritage and tradition that had been built on for so long in Washington. 

The team did not immediately rebrand as the Washington Commanders. Rather, the organization just did away with the old name as quickly as possible and replaced it with a short-term name, the Washington Football Team. The dismissal of the Redskin brand acknowledged the larger trend in society to do away with symbols that are offensive to some cultures. While the name change showed that the Washington organization was committed to reform, it also brought attention to the challenging balance between honoring tradition and adapting to the greater cultural sensitivity in professional sports and beyond.

Washington Commanders’ new logo. Image credit: Washington Commanders via Wikimedia Commons.

On February 2, 2022, the new name and brand were revealed: the Washington Commanders. The traditional burgundy and gold colors were implemented into the new and simple “W” logo. A range of reactions was seen in the public after the rebranding. Some applauded the team for their aspiration to a culturally appropriate change, while others hated the removal of the old brand. Some fans came out and explained how they were no longer fans of the team and could not believe that the team would betray their original identity. Joe Daly, a past Redskins fan, told The Washington Post, “It infuriates me,” and “I just feel like it’s being taken away, and I’m not interested [in what comes next].” One Native American group argued that the Commanders needed to change their name back to the Redskins; the Native Americans argued that the organization cannot erase history. A lawsuit was even filed against the team. The Native Americans Guardians Association claimed that the Commanders needed to change their name back because “the name ‘Redskins’ carries deep cultural, historical, and emotional significance, honoring the bravery, resilience, and warrior spirit associated with Native American culture.”

Daniel Snyder. Photo credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images.

As a fan, I was confused and a little upset at first. This feeling came not from the fact that I did not like the new name or that I preferred the old one, but because I had grown up around the name “Redskins” and seen Native American fans embrace their own culture as a part of the teams. Holt Hopper (‘25) has been a Washington football fan since he was eight years old. Hopper even has family ties to the organization, as his great-grandfather, Romulus Marion Hopper, was in the team band in the 1950s. Hopper commented on the name change, saying, “I was really sad. A part of why I became a Washington fan was because of the logo. I did Indian Guides as a kid, and when I saw the logo, I just knew that the Redskins was my team… but when they changed it, I felt that a part of my love for the team had left me.” 

Snyder, the man in control during the rebranding process, became the team’s owner in 1999. Before he got into football ownership, Snyder was a wealthy businessman through his co-founding of Snyder Communications, a marketing and advertising agency. His purchase of the Commanders in 1999 began a new era for the organization, one often mired by scandals.

Snyder’s ownership had come under fire, especially in the fall of 2021 when reports of faults within the organization arose. Snyder willingly gave up ownership of the team following allegations and submitted to the NFL’s supervision while an investigation began in February 2022. This scandal involved a sexual harassment lawsuit that involved Snyder and a cheerleader, who was also a marketing employee of the team. Snyder was fined 60 million dollars, which was by far the largest fine ever dealt to an NFL owner. 

The Commanders’ new head coach Dan Quinn. Photo credit: Jess Rapfogel via Getty Images.

In the investigations of sexual harassment, there were more scandalous things uncovered. Alleged acts of financial improperties came out, serving as the final blow to Snyder’s regime. Even though there had been rising speculation about Snyder’s character and leadership, he took back ownership of the team after these allegations were resolved. Other than these lawsuits and financial conflicts, Snyder was also a troubled owner because he made poor decisions when it came to managing the team, such as the coaching staff, draft picks, contracts, and trades, giving the fanbase even more of a reason to call for his dismissal.

Joe Whitt, Jr. Photo credit: Washington Commanders.

In April 2023, Snyder finally began negotiations to sell the team to a group led by private equity investor Josh Harris. The full list of people and families involved in this group with Harris were Mitch Rales, Magic Johnson, David Blitzer, Mark Ein, Lee Ainslie, Eric Holoman, Michael Li, Marc Lipschultz, the Morgan family, Doug Ostrover, the Santo Domingo family, Michael Sapir, Eric Schmidt, and, Andy Snyder (unrelated). In May 2023, an agreement was reached to sell the team for an astonishing 6.05 billion dollars, the largest price ever for a sports team. 

Along with the recent team sale, a head coaching shift has also happened. At the end of the 2023 season, the Commanders parted ways with Ron Rivera, who had been head coach since 2020, and signed Dan Quinn, the previous defensive coordinator for their division rival Dallas Cowboys. Other than Quinn, the Commanders have also added plenty of new coaches to their staff, the more notable ones being Kliff Kingsbury as the new offensive coordinator, and Joe Whitt, Jr., as the new defensive coordinator. The new management and ownership may be a sign that there are some strong attempts to change the culture into one more centered around winning, something the Commanders have not done so well in the past decade.

Kliff Kingsbury. Photo credit: Getty Images via Yahoo Sports.

With the fresh new ownership of the team, optimism illuminates a hopefully bright future for the Washington Commanders. With a considerable amount of cap space this offseason, 96 million, 16 million more than any other team in the league, and the second overall choice in the 2024 NFL draft, the team is in a favorable situation. The NFL Draft was completed on April 27, and the Commanders ended up drafting Jayden Daniels (LSU), a standout quarterback from LSU, with their second overall pick. They made other notable selections at pick 36, where they drafted defensive tackle Jer’Zhan (Johnny) Newton from Illinois, and at picks 50 and 53, where they drafted tight end Ben Sinnott (Kansas State) and cornerback Mike Sainristil (Michigan). The Commanders have been in a QB crisis for years, a problem that has hopefully been solved by drafting Daniels. The Commanders are looking upon a possible revival season in 2024 with these new renovations to the squad. 

The addition of new talent, coaching, and ownership points the team in a positive direction and may allow the team to get back as being a major force in the league. There is a tangible feeling of excitement and hope that gridiron glory is upon this legendary franchise and fanbase once again.