It has been four years since the Washington Commanders officially retired the “Redskins” moniker and logo. However, the signifiers of the past once again made their presence known, prompting speculation that the former, controversial identity was back. But the team denied any such chances. 

On August 25, WUSA P9’s Eric Flack reported that he’d seen merchandise sporting the old, controversial logo in the Washington Commanders store. After reaching out to the team, he was given an explanation.

“I asked the team, why are you doing this now after years of really not seeing much of this old logo and this old name, especially from official team merchandise?” he said in a video on X “They said it’s something that they sort of have to do from time to time to protect the trademark. … If they don’t use it, they lose that trademark, which would open up a sort of black market for other people to go out and reproduce this name and logo, which is something the Washington Commanders do not want to see happen.”

Flack was assured the older name would only be on merch that would honor former players. That is why fans will see the Redskins moniker and logo on the newly launched collection of shirts honoring Art Monk, Darrell Green, and Sean Taylor.

In 2020, 87 investment firms with a combined $620 billion in assets reportedly called on major sponsors such as FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo to end their relationships with the team if it kept its existing name. It was the breaking point for the team, as it removed “Redskins” from its name ahead of the 2020 season. The name was eventually dropped in 2022, and replaced with Commanders.

With the change, the team officially stepped into a new era. Now under new ownership, the Commanders hired general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, and they went on to draft Jayden Daniels. And the franchise got its return with a much-awaited trip to the playoffs in 2024, their first appearance since 1991.

However, the Commanders are remembering the team’s past in their alternate uniforms this season, which is dubbed the ‘Hail Raiser.’ It features a black helmet with a spear going through the W, reminiscent of the spear logo the franchise used in the late 60s.

Team President Mark Clouse said they wanted to bridge “the evolution from the Redskins era to the Commander era.”

“I was there for the ’70s, ’80s and early ’90s, so I lived through how amazing those teams were and what an impact it had on me,” team owner Josh Harris said at the league’s annual meetings in Phoenix. “I know that thousands of our fans, or millions maybe, feel the same way. I think it’s important to go back to that as much as you can.

“But at the same time, we have a bright future ahead. … There are many ways to honor our past, and you’re seeing how we treat athletes and bringing back some of our past superstars. So, all those things go into it.”

Washington will not invite the crisis it did a few years ago, but every rebrand will have to be done cautiously.