'They Couldn't Have Picked a Better Name': Former Washington TE Sounds Off on Commanders Moniker

Vernon Davis played in Washington from 2016-19.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 12, 2022

The Washington Commanders are just a day away from playing their first football game under their new permanent name.

Even though it's been six months since the franchise made the change, there's still some mixed feedback from fans, players and critics about the name change.

However, former Washington tight end Vernon Davis had nothing but props to give about the team's new name.

“It just makes sense for them to have that name. They couldn’t have picked a better name than the Commanders,” Davis told USA Today. “Of course, everyone loves the old name, but hey look, time changes, things are different and we have to learn to adapt and really get behind this team and support them.”

Davis played the final four seasons of his 14-year career for Washington, his hometown team. During his tenure with the team, he caught 122 passes for 1,721 yards and eight touchdowns. In his best season in 2017, he recorded 43 receptions for 648 yards and three scores.

Davis grew up in the DMV area as a fan of Washington and understands why fans may not warm up to the Commanders moniker right away, but he feels the name represents the citizens of the area.

“I think the DMV has already bought into it because Commanders represents what Washington, D.C. really is.” said Davis to Mackenzie Salmon on Sports Seriously. “I mean we are talking about the nation’s capital."

The Commanders take the field for the first time in Saturday's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m.

Published Aug 12, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.