The Commanders Brand Is Finally Popular

Eight months after a poll showed 58% of Commanders fans disliked the team name, the team’s deepest playoff run in 33 years has apparently changed some opinions. 

Sunday—a day after the Commanders advanced to the NFC championship game with an upset of the Lions—was the franchise’s best-selling day ever, according to online sales data Fanatics provided to Front Office Sports. That includes the years before the name change. 

And since the playoffs got underway, the Commanders have been Fanatics’ best-selling NFL team, with star rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels netting the most sales of any player in the league.

In a sign of rampant demand, a Washington-area Dick’s Sporting Goods promised to open at 7 a.m. on Monday if the Commanders defeat the Eagles in Sunday’s NFC championship game. 

“Having a winning team and a great quarterback has really had an impact,” trademark attorney Zakari A. Kurtz said. “Sales have grown and you can really feel it when you’re in the area. There’s energy now. Imagine if they win one more game and make the Super Bowl. Imagine if they win the whole thing. Nobody will think about going back to the old name or changing it to another one.”

Yes, there are still those on social media who yearn for the old name. FOS has reported multiple times that neither the Commanders nor the NFL have any desire to ever use the “R” name again. The stance toward the former logo with Native American imagery has seen a modest revival on throwback merchandise. 

The “R” name was axed in favor of the placeholder “Washington Football Team” in 2020. “Commanders” was unveiled in February 2022 and was immediately unpopular, mainly for one reason: Dan Snyder. Snyder’s 24-year run as owner saw one of the league’s most storied franchises slip into disarray with more controversies than playoff berths. 

Josh Harris and his 20 limited partners who closed their record $6.05 billion purchase of the Commanders in July 2023 inherited the name along with the team, practice facility, and stadium. Making the existing Northwest Stadium more fan-friendly and working toward a return to D.C. for the next stadium have been Harris’s priority. 

While ownership didn’t rule a name change out down the road, sources told FOS it was never a priority. 

And, after the Commanders’ success in Harris’s second season as owner, the name could be here to stay.