The RFK site had been silent for years. Empty bleachers, peeling signage, a ghost of a championship past… But in April 2025, the Washington Commanders struck a $3.8 billion deal with Washington, D.C. to build a new 65,000-seat domed stadium, aiming for a 2030 debut. It was anchored by $2.7 billion in private investment and over $1 billion towards the infrastructure surrounding it. It’s a symbolic return, a chance to reconnect with a fanbase that remembers what football used to feel like on the same patch of land.

The best part is that even the franchise QB, Jayden Daniels, is sounding the horns for the same. Hoping that he’s still leading the offense from under center by the time stadium’s back and running, he said, “It’s great just to be back in D.C.. You know, Doug Williams is very close to me. And you hear about the RFK days, and you hear about the Super Bowls and the championships they have won. So it’ll be exciting to be able to go back and play in DC again.”

And now, with the physical comeback in motion, the emotional conversation is following. As the wrecking ball swung at RFK, social media threads and local forums lit up with nostalgia, suggesting that if the franchise is physically returning home, why not its historic identity too? Why not restore the “Redskins” name? To spice things up, President Donald Trump’s punchy comments recently resurfaced in this context, not as breaking news, but as fuel to those nostalgic for the past.

“Well, you want me to make a controversial statement? I would,” Trump said when asked if the Commanders should change their name back to the Redskins. “I wouldn’t have changed the name. But that’s their — it just doesn’t have the same ring to me.” Well, the vibe seems palpable: if it were in Trump’s hands, the Washington football team would likely have stuck with Redskins.

Back when the franchise debated rebranding in 2015, he was blunt in his opposition. “Honestly, I don’t think they should change the name,” he said at that time. “Unless the owner wanted to [change it].” But in 2020, the rebrand was done after social pressure with the moniker being linked to a negative/racist connotation towards the Native Americans (indigenous communities and their allies) historically. Then, until 2022, the franchise went on by the name: Washington Football Team, which was then, finally, rebranded to the Commanders as we know them now.

The way things are unfolding, it’s certain that the Commanders’ owner, Josh Harris, will go ahead with the current name, given that the owner is excited to move ahead with the name, stating, “We’re kind of moving forward with the Commanders name, excited about that, and not looking back.” But before that, the new stadium requires a preliminary approval of the plans, which needs an agreement on July 15.

Donald Trump may step in if the deal remains shaky

The journey of the Commanders from Landover, Maryland, to Washington, D.C. has been anything but smooth. The Commanders and the Mayor of D.C., Muriel Bowser, have big plans for the stadium, and they want it ready by 2030. But before they can move forward, the D.C. Council has to approve the budget plans to help pay for the project. “A delay sacrifices our exclusive seat at the table and $2.7 million in private investment,” Bowser said.

“The Commanders and my team are ready to iron out the details with the Council and respond to any concerns. It should be clear, but let me emphasize: If the Council strips the deal terms or budgeted dollars from the budget, it kills our agreement with the Commanders.” Translation? If the Council doesn’t approve the deal by July 15, the Commanders could leave D.C. and look at other states—like Maryland or Virginia—to build their stadium.

And amidst the chaos, Donald Trump was asked about stepping in if the deal gets shaky. “Well, we’ll see what happens,” the President responded. “I’ve been looking at the deal, and I don’t blame them. It’s a very important piece of property, it’s a great piece of property. So, we’ll see. If I can help them out, I would. Ultimately, we control that [land]. The federal government ultimately controls it, so we’ll see what happens.”

Trump laid out that he saw the plans and the stadium, and he believes that the Commanders’ owner, Josh Harris, is a good man, and would like his team to be in D.C. “I saw the plans, I saw the stadium,” Trump continued. “The owner’s a very, very successful and very good man. I know him a little bit. It would be great for the NFL to be there. I can tell you that. If they want to negotiate a little tough, that’s OK with me.”

Taken all together, the Washington team certainly has no plans to restore the previous name. Plus, the fate of the Commanders in D.C. now depends on the preliminary approval on July 15.