Late last week, Nike removed all merchandise as it relates to Washington's pro football team. The decision to do so was based on the team's name, which has been part of a larger controversy for decades. Washington is now considering changing the name of the franchise after playing as the Redskins since 1933. Owner Dan Snyder said last Friday that the team is officially reviewing the name and will share details of its findings on Monday. Whether Snyder will part with the Redskins moniker remains to be seen, though local media expects the franchise's name to change ahead of the 2020 season.
A source at Nike recently told The Athletic that Nike "will not feature Washington gear until the team name is changed." The report added that Nike anticipates a change soon "because it would take time for them to remake the jerseys and provide them to distributors."
On Friday, shortly after Snyder released a statement announcing that the team is considering a name change, Nike, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, released its own statement as it relates to the team being open to a possible name change.
"We have been talking to the NFL and sharing our concerns regarding the name of the Washington team. We are pleased to see the team taking a first step towards change."
Over the weekend, Washington coach Ron Rivera told The Washington Post that he would support a name change. Rivera added that it would be "awesome" if a new team name could be integrated before the start of the 2020.
"My eyes are wide open," said Rivera, who also said that he and Washington ownership have already discussed new team name options. "We came up with a couple of names -- two of them I really like."
Rivera would not elaborate on any of the team's ideas as it relates to a new name, but CBS Sports NFL writer Jared Dubin recently created a list of possible name options for Washington. Washington would not become the first NFL franchise to change names. Far from it, actually, as more than a fourth of NFL teams have overseen a name change during the league's first 100 years.
In fact, this wouldn't be the first time Washington's franchise has changed names. The team spent its inaugural season as the Boston Braves before changing its name to "Redskins" prior to the start of the 1933 season. The team has kept that name ever since, but now it appears that the franchise will undergo a third name change before the start of the upcoming season.