Change is almost certainly coming for the Washington Redskins.
When the team announced Friday that it would conduct a “thorough review” of its name, the consensus was that owner Dan Snyder wouldn’t make such a statement without already being prepared to rename his franchise. And multiple outlets have since reported that Snyder will do it. Redskins coach Ron Rivera told The Washington Post that “it would be awesome” if the change came before the start of the 2020 season in September.
The decision wasn’t reached overnight. The Redskins have faced intense pressure over the past month as part of the nationwide reckoning over racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s death — including from the team’s major corporate sponsors like FedEx, Nike and Pepsi.