Washington’s Former Redskins Identity: Evaluating the New Logo

The Short Answer: The Redskins Logo Was Replaced by the Commanders 'W'

The Redskins no longer exist as a brand. Washington's NFL franchise retired the Redskins name and its Native American head logo in July 2020. On February 2, 2022, it announced its permanent identity as the Washington Commanders. The primary mark introduced then is a stylized, angular letter 'W' in the club's long-standing burgundy and gold. A 'Commanders' wordmark and a crest-style secondary mark were released alongside it. When people search for the 'new Redskins logo', the current answer is that Commanders 'W' identity.

Searchers sometimes mean the interim identity instead. For the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the club played as the Washington Football Team. It used a plain 'Washington Football Team' wordmark and a simple block 'W'. Helmets in that period showed player numbers rather than a logo. That identity was explicitly temporary and was replaced by the Commanders branding.

How the Identity Changed: A Timeline

Period | Team name | Primary visual identity

Up to July 2020 | Washington Redskins | Native American head logo; feathered and circular treatments over the decades

July 2020 to early 2022 | Washington Football Team (interim) | Plain wordmark and block 'W'; numbers on helmets

February 2022 onward | Washington Commanders | Angular 'W' primary mark, 'Commanders' wordmark, crest-style secondary mark

The 2020 retirement followed decades of criticism of the name as a racial slur. It came after renewed pressure from sponsors and advocacy groups that summer. The club then chose an interim name and stated it would take time to develop a permanent identity. That two-season gap is why there are two different 'new' Washington logos in circulation.

Calls to bring back the old name have resurfaced since the rebrand, including from public officials. The club's ownership has publicly maintained the Commanders identity. Readers should check current team announcements for any later branding changes, because this article cannot confirm developments beyond the record summarized here.

What Explains the Commanders Logo's Design

Some elements of the design are documented. The club kept burgundy and gold, the colors tied to the franchise for most of its history, so the rebrand changed the symbol but not the palette. The team framed the Commanders name around Washington's connection to the military and public service. The primary symbol is a letterform rather than a figure or mascot.

Other points are not documented here. This article has no attributable record of the individual designers or agency behind the final marks, or of the exact construction specifications of the 'W'. Readers who need authorship details should rely on official team or league brand materials.

The following is visual interpretation, not stated design intent. The sharp angles and heavy strokes read as assertive and athletic, and the letterform links the mark to the city name rather than to any people or culture. A lettermark also avoids the representational problems that ended the previous logo.

Evaluating the New Logo as Vector Artwork

No logo files were supplied or inspected for this article. So the points below are an editorial judgment of the published design's form, not findings about the quality of any particular SVG, EPS, AI or PDF file.

• Scalability: A bold, geometric letterform with few fine details generally holds up better at very small sizes than an illustrated portrait. This matters for favicons, app icons, embroidery and helmet decals.
• Path simplicity: Straight edges and angular cuts usually translate into clean vector geometry with fewer anchor points than organic illustration. This is an expectation based on the shape, not a measured result.
• Color handling: A limited two-color identity is practical for spot-color printing, single-color reversals and merchandise production. Exact color values should come from official brand standards, not from sampling a screen image.
• Typography: The 'Commanders' wordmark uses custom or proprietary lettering. Do not assume a matching retail font exists. Official files would typically have text converted to outlines.
• Limitation: A simple 'W' lettermark is less distinctive in isolation than a pictorial logo. Many organizations use a 'W', so the crest and wordmark do more of the recognition work in some contexts.

Checking Whether a Downloaded File Is Real Vector Artwork

Many logo sites offer Commanders or Redskins files labeled as vector. A file extension does not prove a file contains editable paths. An SVG, EPS or PDF can simply wrap a raster image, and some files include only a raster preview. Unofficial versions may also be hand-traced, with distorted proportions or incorrect colors.

• Open the file in a vector editor and switch to outline or wireframe view. True vector artwork shows path outlines; an embedded image shows only a rectangular bounding box.
• Zoom in far beyond normal size. Vector edges stay crisp, while embedded raster content pixelates or blurs.
• Check the layers or links panel for placed or embedded images.
• Inspect anchor points on curves and corners. Excessive or uneven points often indicate auto-tracing rather than original construction.
• Confirm whether text is live type or converted outlines, and whether any referenced fonts are missing.

Usage Rights: Downloading Is Not Permission

Both the Commanders marks and the retired Redskins marks are trademarks associated with the franchise and the NFL. Being able to download a file does not grant the right to modify the artwork, use it commercially, put it on merchandise or extend it to its custom lettering. Editorial or commentary use can be treated differently from commercial use. Design work for clients, products or promotions should go through proper licensing or legal advice.

The retired Redskins artwork carries a separate concern. Beyond trademark status, it is widely regarded as offensive, so reproducing it in new work raises reputational issues as well as legal ones.

Gaps in This Assessment

• No official or third-party logo files were inspected, so no file-quality claims are made.
• No attributable record of the designers or agency behind the 2022 marks was available.
• Exact official color values and construction specifications were not supplied.
• Branding developments after the record summarized here are not covered.