Washington Redskins Officially Begin Review of Team Nickname

In a statement from the team, owner Dan Snyder said: “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 it is proud to represent on and off of the field.”

The team’s statement indicated that the review “formalizes the initial discussions the team has been having with the league in recent weeks.”

The discussion about changing the team’s name, considered a racial slur against Native Americans and indigenous people, has endured for decades. However, the urgency and pace of action ramped up due to increasing pressure from sponsors and their investors.

As Adweek first reported on Wednesday, shareholders and investment firms worth a collective $620 billion sent letters to FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo asking the brands to divest from the Washington NFL team unless it agreed to change its name. That letter was drive by the Native American advocacy group First Peoples Worldwide; FPW director Carla Fredericks told Adweek on Friday that she’s “hopeful that this is a quick review process that also includes Native leadership at the forefront.” 

The National Congress of American Indians, which has been leading campaigns for 50 years against the use of Native Americans as sports mascots, issued a statement on Friday.

“We are encouraged by the Washington NFL team’s announcement that it will conduct a ‘thorough review’ of the team’s name and mascot. This moment has been 87 years in the making, and we have reached this moment thanks to decades of tireless efforts by tribal leaders, advocates, citizens, and partners to educate America about the origins and meaning of the R-word,” said NCAI President Fawn Sharp.

“NCAI looks forward to immediately commencing discussions with the league and team about how they will change the team’s name and mascot, and a prompt timetable for doing so,” said Sharp. “Indian Country deserves nothing less. The time to change is now.”

In 2014, NCAI produced a commercial it hoped to air during the Superbowl that called out the Washington team for its use of a racial slur.

Earlier this week, FedEx asked the team to change the nickname. And last night, Nike appeared to have pulled all Washington Redskins merchandise from its website.

Another sponsor, PepsiCo, revealed that behind-the-scenes discussions with the team’s management was ongoing.

“We have been in conversations with the NFL and Washington management for a few weeks about this issue,” a PepsiCo spokesperson told Adweek on Friday. “We believe it is time for a change. We are pleased to see the steps the team announced today, and we look forward to continued partnership.”

Only Nike remains quiet among the three major brands that were put under pressure this week by investors. Adweek has sent several requests for comment to Nike and will update this story when a response is received.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell appears to favor the move.

“In the last few weeks, we have had ongoing discussions with Dan, and we are supportive of this important step,” said Goodell, who earlier in June, admitted that he and the league were wrong about player protests about racial injustice, while not specifically mentioning Colin Kaepernick’s name. Kaepernick, who began peaceful protests by kneeling during the national anthem before games, has not been in the league since 2016.

For his part, Washington head coach Ron Rivera voiced support for the review.

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