The Washington Commanders hope to be playing in a new stadium on the grounds of RFK Stadium in 2030 but you won’t see the old logo back on their helmets or any association with their old nickname, Redskins.

The Commanders reiterated in a text message to The New York Sun that the organization has no intention of using the old logo of a Blackfeet Chief despite calls by a Montana Senator for its return. “There are no plans to bring the logo back,” a team spokesman told the Sun in addressing rumors to the contrary.

Speculation grew when Senator Daines, a Republican from Montana, created a social media firestorm by throwing his support behind legislation that facilitates the construction of a new stadium for the Commanders is tied to the club using the logo again. Mr. Daines said there are “good faith negotiations” underway that would allow the logo to be used again. 

The Commanders, under a new ownership group headed by Josh Harris, were quick to reiterate their stance on the matter. The logo was retired in 2020 when the Washington Football Team then under owner Dan Snyder dropped the nickname Redskins after years of controversy.

The Commanders don’t want a renewed controversy over the old logo during this long journey towards a new stadium. A surprising playoff contender on the field, the franchise scored a major win off the field when the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources voted 17-2 on Nov. 19 to allow the Secretary of the Interior to transfer administrative jurisdictions of RFK Stadium to the District of Columbia.

The District can now work with the Commanders to use the property to build a new stadium at the site where the franchise enjoyed much of its Super Bowl success. The Commanders are also exploring potential sites in Maryland and Virginia.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said the committee’s approval “marks a pivotal moment in our efforts to unlock the potential of the RFK Campus by transforming this underutilized space into a vibrant hub of affordable housing, world-class recreational facilities, greens spaces, and economic opportunity for District residents and visitors alike.”

Mr. Daines made it all about the logo. He said changing the Washington Football Team’s nickname from Redskins to Commanders and the removal of the logo is a case of “WOKE” gone wrong fueled by “white liberals.”

Despite the one-sided vote, Mr. Daines insisted talks with the NFL and the Commanders about the return of the logo are ongoing. The NFL has made no comment. 

The profile of a Blackfeet warrior served as the team’s logo for nearly a half-century after replacing the “R” logo in 1971. It was designed by the tribal chief of the Blackfeet nation, Walter “Blackie” Wetzel.

According to the Wetzel family, Mr. Wetzel designed the logo to pay tribute to Indigenous people and their strength, pride, courage, and service. The Commanders’ new ownership group honored Blackie Wetzel and his family this September when it installed a plaque of the logo and a biography of Mr. Wetzel in the Club Section of Northwest Stadium.

The Commanders said at the time the logo wouldn’t be returned for “Throwback” days or commercial purposes. “It’s still too difficult an issue,” the vice president of public affairs for the Commanders, Kirtan Mehta, told the Sun last month. 

The grandson of Blackie Wetzel, Ryan Wetzel, told the Sun he is holding out hope the logo comes back in some form whether supported by the team or to be utilized by private or civic causes that support the Blackfeet Nation.

“You can’t cancel this thing,” Ryan Wetzel told the Sun. “If you look at the history of the American Indian they’ve been canceled since the beginning of the formation of our great nation. We’ve got to quit doing that.”

After decades of instability, bad press, and bad football, the Commanders are well on their way to establishing a new identity with a “W” on the sides of their helmets. Led by new ownership and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders (7-5) are in contention for their first playoff berth since 2020 and only their second since 2015.  Washington, winner of three Super Bowls, has not won a playoff game since 2005.