“I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back … I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington,” President Trump warned via Truth Social, reigniting a cultural and political showdown around the team formerly known as the “Redskins”. His ultimatum couldn’t come at a more pivotal time: the Commanders, under Josh Harris, are deep in negotiations for a staggering $3.7 billion redevelopment of RFK Stadium, aiming to reclaim their place in D.C. but now face a question that cuts deeper than branding.
“It’s now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff. So we’re going with that,” Josh Harris told ESPN back in February, drawing a clear line in the sand. And for once, the city seems to agree. Public approval for the ‘Commanders’ name has jumped to 61%, up from just 45% a year ago. That shift gives Harris momentum. But the fight isn’t just local anymore. With voices inside the White House echoing Trump’s demand for a name reversal, the team isn’t just choosing its brand — it’s choosing its future.
Albert Breer pulled no punches when asked about the Trump-fueled name change buzz. On The Dan Patrick Show, Breer peeled back the curtain on the Commanders’ true stance — or rather, their refusal to even entertain the debate. “Every time I go to them, it’s like that’s not even… we haven’t even discussed that.” According to Breer, “they are at a very high level and they’re being kept very, very quiet.” That silence, he suggests, is deliberate, with leadership viewing any reversion as a temporary win that “would be asking for another problem to come up in five or ten years after everything that they went through”.
The dilemma isn’t new — just ask the Cleveland Guardians. After dropping their former moniker, they too faced mounting calls to revert. But ownership stood firm, opting to protect the hard-earned progress made under a new identity.
“When I’ve talked to #Commanders people about this over the last couple of years — every time I go to them, it’s like, ‘We haven’t even discussed that, that’s not even something that we would bring up.’”
– @AlbertBreer on the discussion surrounding the Commanders’ name change. pic.twitter.com/cbqolcTUiW
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) July 21, 2025
Washington’s path has followed a similar arc. When the franchise dropped the ‘Redskins’ name in July 2020, it let go of nearly nine decades of tradition, controversy, and baggage. By February 2, 2022, under Dan Snyder, the Commanders’ name had become more than a rebrand. Josh Harris inherited that name, but he hasn’t treated it passively. “For obvious reasons, the old name can’t come back,” he said in August. A line that felt less like PR and more like a mission statement.
Now, with Fanatics reporting a 163% jump in merchandise sales, that reset is gaining real traction. ESPN’s Dan Graziano summed it up clearly: “The ‘Commanders’ name means something — players who love football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates.” This is no longer a placeholder. It’s a culture shift. And for Harris, walking that back now wouldn’t just be a branding blunder — it would be throwing away the emotional, financial, and cultural equity the franchise spent four seasons rebuilding.
Commanders stadium deal faces fresh delays as DC Council hits pause
Just as the Commanders thought they were making a clean break from the past, the politics of their return to D.C. have thrown up a fresh hurdle. The RFK Stadium redevelopment! A sprawling $3.7 billion project that was supposed to anchor the team’s homecoming is now caught in a legislative traffic jam. The D.C. Council abruptly delayed the critical July 15 vote, citing the need for more time to dissect the financial web surrounding the deal. Especially the housing and retail developments tied to the stadium. Council Chair Phil Mendelson insisted this wasn’t a rejection but a recalibration, saying they “need to better understand the financials behind the housing and retail components” before greenlighting the project. Still, with each passing week, the path back to D.C. gets murkier.
Jan 8, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
That delay hasn’t sat well with Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has staked considerable political capital on getting the Commanders back within the District. “The only thing that will give me confidence is the approval of the deal,” Bowser pressed. Adding a clear shot across the Council’s bow. She’s been pushing aggressively for the RFK site to once again pulse with NFL life. Not just as a stadium, but as the centerpiece of a broader urban revival. The new timeline now adds two more weeks of council review and public hearings, further extending the process into a summer clouded by Trump’s name-change demands and mounting public scrutiny.
Meanwhile, the Commanders are playing it safe, issuing a cautiously worded statement expressing “hope for continued progress” with D.C.’s leaders. But behind the diplomatic phrasing lies growing frustration. Every delay not only threatens the stadium timeline but also exposes the franchise to deeper political entanglements. Particularly with Trump’s threat still dangling. For Harris and his front office, the situation is becoming a complex maze: navigating D.C.’s bureaucratic caution, fending off cultural and political attacks, and somehow keeping the focus on football. Right now, the road back to Washington feels less like a triumphant return and more like a marathon of obstacles.
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