The Washington Commanders might rebrand their rebrand.
Magic Johnson, the Basketball Hall of Famer who became a minority owner of the franchise when the sale was approved Thursday, hinted that the team could undergo another name change.
“I think everything’s on the table, especially after this year,” Johnson said during an interview with Craig Melvin on TODAY that aired Friday morning. “We’ll see what we are with the name, but I can’t say that right now.”
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The Commanders are set to enter their second season under the current moniker. The original name and logo were retired by the organization in 2020 following years of complains that it was an anti-Indigenous slur. The team played under the placeholder name of Washington Football Team for two seasons before rebranding to the Commanders in 2022.
The Commanders name, and all related jerseys and merch, could quickly become obsolete under the new ownership group. The NFL approved the sale of the Commanders on Thursday from Dan Snyder to a group led by Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Josh Harris.
Snyder in 2013 told USA TODAY that he would "never change the name."
NFL
"It's that simple. NEVER — you can use caps," he said at the time.
His stance changed amid pressure from sponsors who demanded the team change its long-condemned name. Now the team could soon take the field under its fourth different name.
An eventual rebrand could help distance the organization even further from Snyder, whose tumultuous run ended Thursday with a $60 million fine following a 17-month investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and financial fraud.
Johnson and the new owners intend to change that culture.
"You have to let the employees know that you respect them and it will be a safe place to work," Johnson said.
"We know how valuable the employees are because they make it run every single day. And so, we’re going to hire the best people. We already got a lot of great people. So, this year it’s about listening, watching and really learning."
