Washington retired the Redskins name and logo in 2020, but products in its official store still feature the retired branding. The team said it is producing these products only on a limited basis to honor former players and retain its rights to the trademarks.
WUSA investigative reporter
Eric Flack posted a video to X Wednesday of himself standing outside the Commanders pro shop at Northwest Stadium. In the video, he holds up a shirt featuring Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Art Monk. The shirt features images of Monk playing, holding up a ball, and a side profile of him in his helmet with the Washington Redskins logo. The back of the shirt is emblazoned with the Redskins name and Monk's individual stats and accomplishments.
Indeed, on their official team store, the Commanders do offer several pieces of apparel with the Redskins name and logo visible. One is a
black mesh jersey with the name and number 21 worn by former safety, the late Sean Taylor. The Redskins name is on the front of the jersey. There are two others with Taylor on the shop page: one with a
black-and-white action shot of him, and another with a
collage of images, with the Redskins helmet on the back collar. There is also a
75th anniversary jersey that lacks the name but carries a badge with two feathers reminiscent of the Redskins logo.
Another shows Super Bowl champion quarterback
Doug Williams scrambling; the Redskins logo is visible on his helmet.
The Monk shirt, and a similar one with Green's images printed on it, appear in a Google search, but clicking the link redirects to the Commanders' shop front page. There is another
Darrell Green shirt available on the store, but the logo appears to have been removed from his helmet in the print.
The Redskins explained the use of the retired name and logo in a statement to
WUSA.
"When we recognize alumni through merchandise, our goal is to ensure those products authentically reflect the era they represent, and that is shown in the handful of items we are selling," the team said.
"It's also important that we protect our trademarks. We are required to maintain the marks in commercial usage so that marks remain under franchise control. There are no changes to our previous position on the team name, and we're excited to showcase the Commanders brand this season in ways that celebrate our past while looking toward the future."
Originally known as the Boston Braves when founded in 1932, the team was known as the Boston Redskins from 1933 to 1936, before moving to the nation's capital and becoming the Washington Redskins.
The name was controversial for many years; critics said the name was a racial slur for Native Americans, while supporters claimed it honored the legacy and virtues of the Native Americans.
In 2020, at the height of racial tensions amid the George Floyd protests, the team scrapped the Redskins name and logo, adopting the placeholder name "Washington Football Team." In 2022, they adopted the name "Commanders."
The Commanders have made efforts to keep as much of the connection to the old name alive as possible. Last year, the team rolled out "
Super Bowl Era" alternate uniforms that replaced the sleek, modern redesigns in favor of block letters, white and gold stripes on the helmet and burgundy and gold shoulders, and gold facemasks. The jerseys were originally slated to be alternate away uniforms worn only three times, but they made them their
primary uniform this season and added a home ensemble, along with an all-black alternate.
