Magic Johnson Confirms Commanders Could Change Name

The new minority owner said “everything’s on the table” regarding team changes.

The sale of the Commanders from Dan and Tanya Snyder to a group headed by Josh Harris became official on Thursday, as the 76ers and Devils owner now takes over Washington’s NFL franchise as well. Joining Harris’s ownership group is Magic Johnson, who now has a minority stake in four professional teams.

Immediately after the sale, ESPN’s Don Van Natta reported the new ownership group would strongly consider changing the name from Commanders. While appearing on the TODAY show, Johnson confirmed a new name could be in play for the team after this season.

“I think everything’s on the table, especially after this year,” Johnson said. “We’ll see what we are with the name, but I can’t say that right now.”

The NFL’s Washington Commanders has been sold to a group led by billionaire Josh Harris and a group that includes NBA legend @MagicJohnson. @CraigMelvin sat down for an exclusive interview with Johnson to talk about ushering in a new era for the team. pic.twitter.com/Y3NvWjU9j9

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 21, 2023

After deciding to rebrand the team in 2020, Washington went by the Washington Football Team for two seasons before adopting the Commanders nickname last season. However, the name is still identified with Snyder and the previous ownership group, so the new owners may want to create their own legacy with a new name.

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Besides potentially changing the name, NBC’s Craig Melvin also asked Johnson about moving the team from Landover, Md., back into Washington D.C. In response, Johnson said the new owners have to discuss everything after the upcoming season.

“We’re going to spend this year understanding what we have in place, and then I’m sure [potentially moving] will come up, the Commanders, the name of the team, will come up eventually,” he said. “Right now we’ve got enough work to do.”