Washington Football Team president: Moving forward with no ties to Native American imagery ‘right path’

The Washington Football Team’s president announced on Monday that the team is moving forward with no ties to Native American imagery.

In a statement, team President Jason Wright, the first Black president of an NFL franchise, said on Monday that after dropping the “Redskins” moniker in July of last year, they believe that moving forward without ties to Native American imagery is “the right thing to do.”

“We are proudly forging ahead in this journey with a promise to our community — a promise to continue to be inclusive in our process and collaborative with our fans.”

From the desk of @whoisjwright:

— Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL) July 12, 2021

“We recognize that not everyone is in favor of this change. And even the Native American community offers a range of opinions about both our past and path forward,” Wright said in the statement. “But in these moments, it is important to prioritize the views of those who have been hurt by our historical use of Native American language, iconography and imagery.”

Wright expressed gratitude toward Native American community leaders in his statement.

“I am personally and deeply grateful for the Native American community leaders who engaged with us, sharing painful, raw, and real stories that persist to this day,” Wright said. “Their stories affirmed our decision to move in a new direction in the creation of our new name and identity, and we are proudly forging ahead in this journey with a promise to our community — a promise to continue to be inclusive in our process and collaborative with our fans.” 

Wright also noted that the moniker “Warriors,” which some Washington fans have pitched to the club as the new team name, was crossed out as an option because it “closely aligns with Native American themes.”

Washington’s NFL team has had a troubled recent history amid controversies over the treatment of cheerleaders and other women employed by the team as well as its nickname.

The NFL fined Washington $10 million for running an “unprofessional” workplace environment over the past 15 years, stemming from sexual harassment claims made by previous employees and reporters covering the team. 

Two days prior, franchise co-owner Dan Snyder appointed his wife, Tanya Snyder, to serve as the team’s new co-CEO, removing himself from the day-to-day operations of the organization.