NFL franchise selling controversial gear with abandoned name and logo at own team store

It has been six years since the NFL’s Washington D.C. franchise announced a major rebrand and name change.

But while Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders are focused on the upcoming 2026 season, the franchises’s old name and logo have oddly resurfaced in an official team store.

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Eric Flack, a TV reporter for WUSA 9 (CBS), posted a video that had received more than 1 million views as of Wednesday morning.

T-shirts displaying Washington’s old Redskins name and logo are being sold in the store, Flack said, and the franchise acknowledged the merchandise was genuine.

“These are things that many fans thought they would never see printed up on merchandise sold by the team ever again,” Flack said.

“Especially after the team changed its name in 2020 over complaints that that name, the Washington Redskins, was racist to the Native American population.”

On the team’s online site, Commanders merch decorates the store.

But Flack was pictured holding up an official Washington Redskins shirt displaying Art Monk, who won three Super Bowls with the franchise and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

“I hope all those shirts sell out x10000000,” one fan posted.

“Will purchase no gear or tickets until officially rebrand takes place fully,” a second fan posted. “Name and logo. 60 year fan.”

Washington said that it is temporarily selling the old merchandise to preserve trademark copyrights.

The franchise began play in 1932 and holds a 646-660-29 all-time record.

x@EricFlackTV

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Washington was previously called the Boston Braves, and was named the Redskins for 87 years.

The franchise then spent two years going through a process that eventually resulted in a full rebrand that gave a nod to the military because of a connection to America’s capital city.

The organization was known as the Washington Football Team in 2020 and ’21 before announcing the change to Commanders.

“For obvious reasons, the old name can’t come back,” owner Josh Harris said in 2022, referring to the Redskins usage.

“The name Commanders means something,” Harris said. “It’s about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It’s really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.”

But many fans still prefer the old team name and logo, and the fact that Washington’s team store is selling official Redskins merchandise made waves on social media.