Josh Harris Says Commanders Won't Change Nickname: It's Being 'Embraced' by Our Team

The Washington Commanders nickname is here to stay.

Owner Josh Harris said Monday that he has no plans to change the team's name and added that it's "being embraced" by those around the organization.

"Yes. And I think it's now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff," he said when asked if Washington would keep its name, per the Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala. "So, we're going with that."

Washington retired the name it had held since 1933 in July 2020 and pivoted to being called the "Washington Football Team" in 2020 and 2021. The franchise rebranded to the Commanders ahead of the 2022 season.

Harris told reporters that the franchise's original name won't be returning "for obvious reasons" despite some fans wanting the team to return to its former name.

Last April, a poll by the Washington Post revealed that 58 percent of local Commanders fans did not like the new name (h/t ESPN's John Keim). Since then, the team has found success for the first time under its new name, going 12-5 behind standout rookie Jayden Daniels.

The Commanders won their first playoff game since 2005 when they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round. Washington then reached the NFC championship game for the first time since 1991 by upsetting the Detroit Lions in the divisional round.

According to The Athletic's Mike Jones, Washington head coach Dan Quinn gathered a group of the team's veterans during the offseason and had them work with a group of Navy SEALs to devise a document they called "The Commander Standard."

Per Jones, that document was a "list of standards by which they believed successful teams operate." That "Commander Standard" fueled the team's best season in decades.

Perhaps Washington's newfound success under the name Commanders can sway fans into being more accepting of the new name.