The Washington Redskins will undergo a “thorough review” of their name, the team said in a statement on Friday.
“In light of recent events around our country and feedback from our community, the Washington Redskins are announcing the team will undergo a thorough review of the team’s name. This review formalizes the initial discussions the team has been having with the league in recent weeks,” the statement said.
The team gave no timeline for the review or a decision on the name. However, ESPN, citing an unnamed source, reported on Friday that a change to the name was “likely.”
“This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football League and the local community it is proud to represent on and off the field,” said team owner Dan Snyder, who has been an opponent of name-change campaigns in the past.
In his own statement, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league was “supportive of this important step.”
The review comes after FedEx, which has naming rights to the team’s home stadium in Maryland, said earlier this week that it had communicated a request that the team remove its reference to Native Americans that is held by many as a disparaging stereotype.