Washington Football Team Logo PNG
The Washington Football Team’s logo is designed to capture the essence of unity, regional pride, and the spirit of its devoted fanbase. With a bold and clean aesthetic, the logo conveys the strength and solidarity of a team that represents not just the players on the field but the entire Washington, D.C., community. Emphasizing the city’s rich heritage and diverse culture, it becomes a proud symbol that brings joy to fans and celebrates the city’s honor on the national stage.
Washington Football Team: Brand overview
The franchise, originally known as the Boston Braves, was founded in Boston in 1932 by George Preston Marshall. Initially, the team shared Braves Field with the local baseball team, playing its home games there. The team recorded four wins, four losses, and two ties in its first season.
In 1933, the team moved to Fenway Park and changed its name to the Boston Redskins. Quarterback Sammy Baugh, the team’s first star player, led them to win the Eastern Division in 1936, though they lost to the Green Bay Packers in the championship game.
A major change occurred in 1937 when the team was renamed the Washington Redskins and relocated to Washington due to low attendance at games in Boston. That year, led by Sammy Baugh, the team won its first championship, defeating the Chicago Bears 28–21.
The franchise continued to develop in the post-war years. In 1950, team owner George Preston Marshall contributed to the NFL by starting the broadcast of every game. In the 1960s, the team acquired future stars Charlie Taylor, Bobby Mitchell, and Sonny Jurgensen. Under the guidance of legendary coach Vince Lombardi, the team achieved a winning record in 1969, with seven victories, five losses, and two ties.
The team’s golden age began in 1981 when owner Jack Kent Cooke hired Joe Gibbs, an assistant coach from the San Diego Chargers, as head coach. This decision transformed the franchise. Under Gibbs, the team won three Super Bowls: 1983 against the Miami Dolphins, 1988 against the Denver Broncos, and 1992 against the Buffalo Bills. Key players during this period included quarterback Joe Theismann, running back John Riggins, receiver Art Monk, and the renowned offensive line known as the “Hogs.”
After Joe Gibbs’ departure, the team experienced several disappointing seasons. 1999, Daniel Snyder acquired the team for a record $800 million. Gibbs returned in 2004, leading the team to the playoffs in 2005 and 2007, but could not replicate the previous successes.
In 2012, the team won the NFC East division after drafting promising quarterback Robert Griffin III, but injuries hindered Griffin’s career and limited the team’s progress.
In July 2020, after 87 years, the team made the historic decision to retire the Redskins name. For the 2020–2021 season, they adopted the temporary name Washington Football Team. On February 2, 2022, the team officially announced its new name, the Washington Commanders, following an extensive process of fan input and reflecting Washington’s role as the nation’s capital.
A new milestone came in 2023 when a group of investors led by Josh Harris purchased the team from Daniel Snyder for a record $6.05 billion, the highest price paid for a North American sports team then.
The team has won the NFC championship five times, the division title fifteen times, and five championships, including three Super Bowl victories. They have appeared in the playoffs 25 times, and legends like Sammy Baugh, Sonny Jurgensen, John Riggins, Art Monk, and Darrell Green have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Meaning and History
The team’s old nickname has always been a cause for controversy and protests over the interpretation of the word. It was originally called the Boston Braves, but Marshall did not want to be confused with the same name from the Major League Baseball franchise. The owner thought the Redskins were a great alternative. He played with this title in every possible way, forcing the players to wear feathers and other attributes of the American Indians. And sometimes, the players came to the stadium smeared in the dark paint.
In 1967, the nickname became the official trademark. By that time, the football club had many logos associated with it. In 1971, critics publicly spoke out for the first time about the offensive meaning of the word Redskins and demanded to stop using it. Perhaps there was some truth in this because George Preston Marshall became famous as a racist during his lifetime. The team responded to all claims by changing the emblem and choosing a detailed image of the head of an Indian. Walter Wetzel created this symbol.
Subsequently, the football franchise several times fell into similar scandals. Native Americans protested, signed petitions, and sued the Washington Redskins to get it renamed. The new owner of the club, Daniel Snyder, vowed that he would never allow this, although even President Barack Obama advised him to listen to the activists.
Opponents of the Redskins name won in 2020. After the assassination of George Floyd, investors demanded that sponsors stop financially supporting the franchise as long as it bears the offending name. And large online retailers refused to sell her products. Daniel Snyder was forced to change his oath amid growing and widespread pressure. This gave the club a new temporary name, Washington Football Team, and the same temporary logo. The final rebranding is expected to take place in 2022.
What is the Washington Football Team?
This professional NFL team plays its home games at FedExField in Maryland. The team competes in the NFC East division in the Washington metropolitan area. Founded by George Preston Marshall in 1932, it was previously known as the Washington Redskins, and earlier as the Boston Redskins and Boston Braves. Due to controversies surrounding its previous name, the team underwent rebranding. The team maintains strong connections with its fans in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, blending decades of football tradition with modern athletic skill and competing in one of the league’s strongest divisions.
1932
The Boston Braves club was founded in 1932. Its logo looked like a stylized Indian head turned to the left. The main color was red, and white was used for the inner contours. The artists depicted the feather headdress in detail so that it was clear that this was the tribe’s leader.
1933 – 1936
Following the renaming, the team updated the emblem with a portrait of the Native American inside an orange ring with a white center. Two feathers in the hair replaced the full crown, and the head was turned to the right. The main palette is now black and white.
1937 – 1951
Marshall felt Boston’s fans were inactive enough, so he moved the franchise to Washington, leaving the old nickname. The logo has remained the same, apart from the style and color palette changes. The artists have detailed the image, added more vibrant hues, and made the feathers red.
1952 – 1959
Another redesign took place in the middle of the 20th century. The developers paid attention to the realism of the image. The Indian’s face has become three-dimensional due to the superimposed shadows. The feathers in the dark hair have been enlarged, and the yellow frame ring has disappeared.
1960 – 1964
In 1960, the designers returned to the old color scheme, which had been used in 1932. This time, only the tribal chief turned white, and all the outlines and backgrounds were repainted in burgundy.
1965 – 1969
The most notable change occurred in 1965 when the developers of the team emblem depicted a spear with a feather instead of an Indian. They felt that these attributes were enough to underline the Washington Redskins’ identity. The spear was white and yellow, with a short shaft and a sharp diamond-shaped tip.
1970 – 1971
Coach Vince Lombardi inspired the new logo. In 1970, the team abandoned the usual images on his initiative, leaving only two feathers as a reminder of the Indian theme. A small tuft of feathers was attached to a burgundy ring with a capital “R” inside.
1972 – 1981
The emblem, which became the basis for all subsequent marks of the Washington Redskins football franchise, was designed in 1972 with Native American leaders. Its author is Walter Wetzel. The design was inspired by the Buffalo nickel, a five-cent coin featuring the famous leader John “Two Guns” White Calf.
The logo featured an Indian face in profile, with prominent cheekbones, a straight nose, and two white feathers in black hair. The head was inside a yellow ring, which on the left side was decorated with two more feathers but of a larger size. At the same time, a word sign appeared – the burgundy inscription “REDSKINS”, executed in bold sans serif type.
1982
The designers pressed the outer feathers against the ring to fit the logo onto the helmet patches. At the same time, they turned the leader’s head to the left (before that, the Indian’s gaze was directed to the right) and slightly changed the shades of colors.
1983 – 2020
The team returned Walter Wetzel’s 1972 logo after the helmet sticker maker adopted a more flexible base. This version completely repeated the original. All the details matched, right down to the loose feathers and turning the head to the right.
Over the 37 years that the Washington Redskins have worn the themed logo on their uniforms, they have been criticized for both the name and the graphic symbol. However, the leaders refused to change anything. They argued that the franchise, on the other hand, glorifies the Indians and reminds them of their existence. Despite this position, they still had to rebrand.
2020 – 2021
The Washington Football Team logo, introduced in 2020, emerged following significant branding changes due to public pressure and protests. Coach Ron Rivera and team owner Daniel Snyder decided to retire the previous name, with the new logo and name initially intended as temporary. However, they remained in use longer than expected as the team took time to develop a new identity.
The logo features a yellow “W” centered on a square burgundy background. The “W” has a unique, dynamic shape with sharp, angled upper edges, giving it a sense of strength and reflecting the team’s sharpness and fighting spirit. This emblem highlights continuity with traditions while retaining simplicity and clarity.
The team’s colors hold historical significance. Burgundy and yellow are Washington’s classic colors, expressing the team’s commitment to its roots and respect for its history. Burgundy symbolizes power, confidence, and tradition, while yellow adds energy and lights the team’s path forward.
Below the “W” emblem, the words “WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM” often appear, along with “EST. 1932.” The yellow text on the burgundy background looks strong, underscoring the brand’s seriousness, while “1932” nods to the team’s long, nearly century-old history. The text is clean, restrained, and pairs well with the minimalist “W.”
The change in the team’s name and logo marked a major step, reflecting its commitment to honoring the voices of its fans and community. The temporary logo symbolized transition, showing Washington’s readiness for change and search for a new identity without losing its roots.
Washington Football Team: Interesting Facts
The Washington Commanders, previously known as the Washington Football Team, have been part of the NFL since 1932, starting as the Boston Braves. Their journey includes several name changes, significant victories, and moments that have shaped the franchise.
- Early Days: The team was first called the Boston Braves in 1932, became the Boston Redskins the following year, and moved to Washington, D.C., in 1937, later changing to the Washington Redskins. 2020, they were known as the Washington Football Team before becoming the Washington Commanders in 2022.
- Wins and Championships: They clinched NFL Championships in 1937 and 1942 and have won three Super Bowls (XVII, XXII, and XXVI), making them one of the NFL’s most successful teams.
- Broadcasting Milestone: In 1939, their game against the Eagles was the NFL’s first live radio broadcast of a regular-season game, a landmark in sports broadcasting.
- Racial Integration: The team was the last in the NFL to integrate, signing Bobby Mitchell in 1962 after pressure from the Kennedy administration. This move highlighted the team’s complex history with race.
- Offensive Innovation: Under coach Joe Gibbs, the team introduced innovative offensive strategies, including “The Hogs,” a formidable offensive line, and the “Fun Bunch,” celebrated wide receivers known for their group celebrations.
- Iconic Players: Legends like Sammy Baugh, John Riggins, and Darrell Green have left a lasting legacy and contributed to the team’s rich history.
- Loyal Fans: The Commanders have a strong fan base, evidenced by a long streak of sold-out games, showing community support despite various challenges.
- Fight Song: “Hail to the Redskins,” one of the first fight songs in professional sports, has been a part of the team’s tradition, though it was modified following the team’s name change.
- Leadership Pioneers: 1989 the team made history by hiring Bobby Mitchell as the NFL’s first African American Assistant General Manager.
- Mascot Changes: The franchise has seen various mascots, including Chief Zee (Zema Williams), a superfan. With the recent rebranding, the team wants to establish new traditions for its diverse fan base.
The Washington Commanders’ history blends on-field achievements, evolving traditions, and a journey towards greater progress and inclusivity, reflecting a complex but significant part of American sports history.
Font and Colors
The football franchise’s executives took the time to create a more creative nickname and a matching logo. Until then, they used the standard icon with a “W” in the square. The classic image of the Indian is finally a thing of the past.
The word “WASHINGTON” uses an unusual, bold typeface with sharp serifs, and the phrase “FOOTBALL TEAM” uses a sans serif version. The team’s colors remained traditional: gold (FFB612) and burgundy (5B2B2F). The logo with the letter “W” has a red-brown square.
