• Loading stock data...
Monday, July 14, 2025

Parts of the Commanders’ Past Finding Their Way Into Harris Era

  • The team is developing plans to honor the designer of its former logo during the upcoming season.
  • Potential efforts to develop a new facility at the RFK Stadium site are intertwined with the logo issue.
Oct 5, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris with fans before the game against the Chicago Bears at FedExField.
Brad Mills-Imagn Images

The Commanders remain in the midst of significant change under owner Josh Harris (above), marked in large part by an attempted on-field rebuild, a long-running search for a new stadium, and perhaps a new name.

But the weight of and the fan allure for the team’s glory days—particularly the Joe Gibbs era that resulted in three Super Bowl titles and helped fuel last year’s record-setting $6.05 billion sale—are still rather close at hand for the Commanders. 

As training camp is quickly approaching with rookies due to report on July 18, the team has made two notable moves this week to honor its past.

  • The family of Walter “Blackie” Wetzel—the late Blackfeet Nation member who helped design the logo used from 1972 to 2020—is expected to be in attendance at the team’s home opener on Sept. 15, when a plaque acknowledging Wetzel will be unveiled at Commanders Field, Ryan Wetzel, a grandson of the late Walter Wetzel, told Front Office Sports. A Commanders spokesperson said “conversations with the Wetzel family are progressing well, but we cannot confirm details at this time.”
  • The team also has announced the return of its traditional, and widely popular, gold pants. While uniform changes are a regular occurrence for many teams, shifts like this for the Commanders carry extra weight. That’s particularly the case given the fans’ love of the franchise’s past, as well as the sensitivity around many elements of that history, including its former logo, the “R” name, and the combative and controversial era of former owner Dan Snyder. 

Fan Unrest

Harris has often been forced to navigate the team’s past-present tightrope since he was unanimously approved by NFL ownership last July. At his introductory news conference, Harris said the team’s old “R” name when referencing the Commanders’ past accomplishments.

The Wetzels, meanwhile, have seized on the unpopularity of the Commanders name—a moniker that has the support of only 16% of the fan base, per a recent Washington Post survey—in hopes that a potential name change could incorporate the old logo. Beyond the visit and a plaque, the Wetzels and Montana Sen. Steve Daines (R., Mont.) have continued to lobby the Commanders to bring back the logo in some form.

“The Commanders are listening,” Ryan Wetzel said. “We’d like to see the logo come back in some form. As to what capacity, I don’t know. They’ve been a little coy about that in our conversations.”

“Let’s restore the logo to a place of pride!!” Daines wrote in an X post Wednesday. 

Multiple NFL sources told FOS that the return of the old logo remains off the table and restoring the old “R” name is a complete nonstarter, however. The Commanders continue to have conversations with the Wetzels in hopes of finding a way to further recognize Walter Wetzel short of bringing back Native American imagery, a divisive issue that led to the name change in the first place. 

Not All Is Great

Daines, meanwhile, remains a key figure in the Commanders’ still-uncertain stadium deliberations. He has threatened to block the RFK Stadium bill that passed the House earlier this year unless the Commanders give proper recognition to the descendants of the Indigenous leader who helped create the logo.  

If the Commanders manage to thread the needle by appeasing the Wetzels, Daines will still need to back off his opposition to the bill that doesn’t even guarantee a stadium will be built on the RFK Stadium site.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

The 153rd Open Championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland

Open Championship Considers Ireland: Portrush ‘Will Open’ Gates

Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland is hosting this week’s tournament.

NFL’s New Headsets Are Designed to Survive Coach Tantrums

New NFL coaching headsets underwent “extensive drop testing.”

SEC’s Sankey Is ‘Fine’ With Big Ten’s Differing View on CFP Expansion

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey won’t commit to a 2026 CFP format.

SEC’s Greg Sankey: Conference Not Sold on Private Equity—for Now

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he’s taken PE meetings.

Featured Today

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
Alex Sarr
July 9, 2025

Wizards Pushing Limits of Youth With 11 Players on Rookie Deals

Washington’s 2025 first-round pick is top-eight protected.
Alex Rodriguez
July 11, 2025

Finally in Charge, A-Rod Says Timberwolves Need New Arena

Rodriguez and Lore would like to repair team relations with Kevin Garnett.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 9, 2025

From Dynasty to Disarray: Red Bull Fires Christian Horner

He served as Red Bull team principal for more than two decades.
Chelsea
July 8, 2025

Chelsea Club World Cup Run Banks at Least $100M for Mark Walter..

The Blues will likely take home between $100 million and $120 million.
July 8, 2025

Texas Sports Teams, Leagues Donate Over $5M to Flood Relief

NFL, MLB, and NBA teams in Texas donate to flood recovery efforts.
Chelsea
July 8, 2025

Club World Cup Semis Are Battle to Make Richest Soccer Final Ever

Semifinalists have each earned at least $60 million from the tournament so far.