Washington Football Team could become franchise’s permanent name

Washington Football Team was thought to be a temporary name after the NFL franchise retired its name and logo that were considered offensive to Native Americans, getting rid of the name after 87 years.

But team’s current name could be here to stay.

“Sure, it’s possible!” Washington owner Dan Snyder told the Wall Street Journal regarding keeping the current name. “If the Washington Football Team name catches on and our fans embrace it then we would be happy to have it as our permanent name,” he wrote. “I think we have developed a very classy retro look and feel.”

Washington kept its burgundy and gold color scheme, and players are wearing their jersey numbers on the sides of their helmets this season.

The Journal reported last month that Washington’s minority owners were pressuring Snyder to sell the franchise, but Snyder has no plans to sell, per the Journal.

Snyder, 55, is under fire after former team employees alleged there was widespread sexual harassment from higher-ups in the organization. While Snyder was not directly accused in an initial Washington Post report, a second Washington Post story revealed allegations that an ex-Washington executive requested a lewd video of outakes from a cheerleaders photoshoot for Snyder, who said he had no knowledge of the video.

Snyder told the Journal that he and his family have previously considered changing the team’s name “multiple times,” despite saying in 2013 that he would “never” change the team’s name. Team sponsors, including stadium sponsor FedEx, pressured the team to change its name before it was retired in July. Snyder told the Journal the team name “had increasingly become a distraction from our primary focus of football.”

“We want our future name and brand to stand for something that unifies people of all backgrounds and to continue to be a source of pride for the next 100 years or more,” Snyder told the paper.