Commissioner Roger Goodell continues to make efforts to maintain the timeline of the 2020 NFL season amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the issue of the Washington Redskins' team name has seemingly taken precedent as of late.
Team owner Dan Snyder is facing pressure to change the offensive team name. Goodell says the NFL front office has offered support to help it come to fruition, via Brad Crawford of 247 Sports:
“In the last few weeks we have had ongoing discussions with Dan and we are supportive of this important step,” Goodell wrote in his statement.
As players throughout the league continue to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, social issues have been thrust to the forefront of the discussion heading into the 2020 NFL season. This has spurred Goodell to change his tune regarding when it comes to the employment of quarterback Colin Kaepernick and now Washington's team name.
The team is now facing pressure from shareholders in companies such as Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo to sever ties with Washington unless they change their name. The prospect of losing out on such bug-time sponsors indicates that a name change is much more likely to happen.
Team owner Dan Snyder has made it clear where he stands when it comes to their 87-year history with the team name. However, Washington has since released a statement announcing that they will conduct a thorough review and have internal discussions about their team name. Goodell's comments only help solidify the notion that a change is on the way.
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