Washington’s NFL team has announced its intention to change its name for the first time in 87 years. What’s the new name? Well, the team says that will come later. 

The decision to finally retire the original name, a racial slur for Native Americans, grew louder after a broader national conversation about racial inequality in the United States. Though members of the community and politicians have called for the change for years, it took action from corporate sponsors to tip the scales. 

https://twitter.com/Redskins/status/1282661063943651328

Two people with knowledge of the team leadership’s plan to announce the name told the Washington Post on Sunday that the new name was in a trademark dispute. 

“In light of recent events around our country and feedback from our community, the Washington [NFL team is] announcing the team will undergo a thorough review of the team’s name,” the team said in a press release issued Friday.

On Thursday, FedEx, who sponsors the team’s current stadium in Maryland, asked the team to reconsider and Nike removed any trace of the team from its online store.

After the announcement of the intention to review the name, fans took to Twitter to offer some names of their own they felt were fitting to some of the region’s quirks, like “The Washington Off The Record No Comments,” and “The Washington Red Pandas.”  Other possibilities with more serious intention included the Washington “Warriors,” “Redtails” and “Redwolves.”

Local lawmakers and officials have stated publicly that the previous offensive name was reason enough to stop the team from moving to RFK stadium in the District. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, whose ward is where RFK stadium currently sits unused, tweeted that he does not support a move to D.C. even if the name change were to happen.

“It doesn’t make it okay to spend hundreds of millions of tax dollars for DC to build a barely used NFL stadium & oceans of empty parking lots at RFK. #HailNo,” Allen said in a Tweet.

Dan Snyder has owned the team for more than 20 years and has publicly defended the team name in the past, at one point telling ESPN that “the name really means honor, respect.” But Snyder said last week he is open to change.

“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,” Snyder said in the statement Friday.

The Association on American Indian Affairs is based in Rockville and has pushed for team name changes throughout the country, including at high schools. Executive director and attorney Shannon O’Loughlin told DCist the Washington team’s decision represents a “sea change” from Snyder’s prior comments.

“This is definitely a 360 from that position, and I think it would be incredible if the name did not change now. There is enough financial pressure on the franchise from its very important large sponsors, so it’s hitting the football team franchise in the pocketbook really hard,” she said.