The Washington D.C. NFL Franchise owner Dan Snyder said in 2013 that he would “never” change the name of the team, but with 2020 seemingly being the year of progress, Snyder is getting more pressure than ever to change it.
Washington’s most important business partner, FedEx, is now asking that Washington change it’s team name to eliminate offensive racial language. FedEx who contributed more than $200 million for naming rights according to CNBC is pressuring the change as Nike and Pepsi co. being to cut ties with the team.
Fedex’s $205 million deal with Washington expires in 2025. FedEx CEO Fredrick Smith is also a minority owner of the franchise.
Washington has been under pressure as many other companies have made changes to remove any racial stereo-types or offensive language from their brands. Washington has for a long time been a target of Native Americans who find the team name offensive. Snyder countered those complaints by donating to dozens of Native tribes in the United States.
Snyder was reportedly looking for a new location for the team to play games specifically the RFK Stadium in D.C., but politicians in the District have required Snyder to change his team name if he wants to play in D.C.
Instead of considering the name change, Snyder has sought a location in Maryland or Virginia. As politicians, activists and billion dollar companies that invest in the Washington team align, it seems that Snyder is trying to avoid the inevitable.
