Washington Redskins QB suggests ‘Red Tails’ as new team name

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - The Washington Redskins are currently under intense pressure to change their team name. One of the team’s quarterbacks suggested a name he likes, a name with ties to the Yellowhammer State.

The name “Redskins” is seen by some as a racial slur against Native Americans, and a name that people have been pushing for the team to remove for decades. Dwayne Haskins Jr., Washington’s 1st round draft pick in 2019, had a new name suggestion.

“I like the redtails,” Haskins, a Black quarterback, said in a quoted tweet reply Friday. The response was to someone in his replies who suggested Washington rename the team the “Washington Buckeyes” due to the many number of Ohio State University players currently on the Washington roster.

The history of the Red Tails is well-known in Alabama. They were a group of Tuskegee Airmen, all-black fighter pilots who played a major role during World War II.

“That’s if we have to change the team name,” Haskins later added.

FedEx and Nike are both applying pressure to the franchise to rename their team. FedExField Stadium is the the venue in which Washington plays its home games. Nike, the NFL’s official apparel sponsor, has removed all Washington Redskins gear from its website.

Team owner Dan Snyder had been vocal in the past about being opposed to the name change, but the team released a statement Friday morning stating the organization will undergo a “thorough review of the team’s name.”

Some say the team could be renamed before the 2020 season.

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