ASHBURN, Va. — Joe Theismann claims the Washington Commanders is the new name of the Washington Football Team, according to an interview Monday morning. The legendary Washington quarterback said that's the name during an interview with Damon Amendolara for CBS Sports radio.
"I think the Commanders is a name that is going to be one that hopefully people like going forward," said Theisman. "Commander - basically it’s Washington, D.C. A lot of commanders in Washington, D.C. and the Pentagon, and a lot of different branches of the service. So that’s the way I’m looking at it, as positions of leadership when it comes to the new name."
The Washington Football Team plans to reveal the new name on the Today Show, which is scheduled for Wednesday.
Theismann went on to say that he understands everyone's not going to like the name.
"If you win, people are going to say, ‘You know, I like that, I can cheer for that. Commanders, yeah.’ But if you lose, it’s like ’ Why did they do that? I’m not happy with that name.’ I’ve always said this; football is a microcosm of society — everything that happens in society," Theismann said.
Earlier this month, team President Jason Wright shared his confidence with the new name choice they are preparing to reveal.
“We are very excited about our final selection, which aligns with our values, carries forth our rich history, represents the region and, most importantly, is inspired and informed by you, our fans,” he said. “We are confident that this identity is one that our team and our fans across D.C., Maryland, Virginia and beyond can rally behind for another 90 years and more as we continue to cheer on the Burgundy & Gold in this next chapter.”
In July 2020, Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder announced the team was going to officially change its nickname and logo. The team's previous name was offensive to some Native American groups.