The Washington Redskins may not be the Washington Redskins for much longer after the team launched a “thorough review” into their team name after pressure from their sponsors and fans.
Washington has come under scrutiny for some time over their Redskins nickname, with many saying it is racist against Native Americans, and now it seems the team may look to make a change.
Matters have only come to a head when their principal sponsor FedEx, who sponsor their home stadium FedEx Field, wrote to the team to ask them to change their name. The company hold naming rights on the stadium until 2025 after signing a $200m deal back in 1999.
A host of other sponsors and companies have also been applying pressure on Washington to change their controversial name, and now the team say they will look into it.
“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,” the team said in a statement.
"This review formalises initial discussions the team has been having with the league in recent weeks."
Redskins owner Daniel Snyder added: "This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also the input from our alumni, the organisation, sponsors, the National Football League and the local community it is proud to represent on and off the field."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league are supporting the team in the process of looking into a name change.
"In the last few weeks,” Goodell said. “We have had ongoing discussions with Dan and we are supportive of this important step."
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