Commanders nickname change 'on the side for now,' team's co-owner says

Marjorie Harris, a co-owner of the Washington Commanders and the wife of Josh Harris, was asked Wednesday about the potential of changing the team’s name.

The team announced it would be the Commanders before the 2022 season, moving on from the Washington Football Team and the Washington Redskins. 

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Josh Harris, center, a new owner of the Washington Commanders, hugs his wife Marjorie Harris, left, and mother Sylvia Harris after a press conference introducing the team's new ownership at FedExField on July 21, 2023, in Landover, Maryland. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

However, the Commanders faced a lawsuit in September 2023 from the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) over the nickname change. New head coach Dan Quinn also wore a T-shirt that featured the feather on the original Redskins logo and the new "W" in the Commanders logo. 

The Washington Post also added that only 16% of fans think the team should keep the nickname.

With all of that on the table, Marjorie Harris put the Commanders’ nickname in a positive light while at a foundation event.

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Marjorie and Josh Harris attend Allied Marine Yacht Hop at Sag Harbor Cove Marina on June 30, 2019, in New York. (Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

"As you would imagine, everybody has an opinion about the name – some good, some bad, some in the middle," she said. "And I think that we have a lot of work to do and that name issue is going to be on the side for now until we can get things going.

"Quite frankly, I had a whole day in the community and I kept referring to the team as the Commanders, and you know what, it sounds pretty good to me. So, for now, it’s the Commanders."

Former team owner Daniel Snyder changed the name to the Washington Football Team from the Redskins in the midst of a summer of racial tension in the U.S.

A Washington Redskins fan holds up a sign during the Jacksonville Jaguars game at FedExField on Sept. 14, 2014, in Landover, Maryland. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

A sign in the stands during the Washington Commanders and Jacksonville Jaguars game at FedExField on Sept. 11, 2022, in Landover, Maryland. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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However, NAGA has been leading the charge in pushing back on the negativity surrounding the name.

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