The Commanders posted another video on Friday showing a complete 360-degree rotation of the new helmet design, which displays an arrow striking through the Commanders’ “W”.
The Association on American Indian Affairs called it “disappointing and inappropriate.”
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The Commanders’ newsroom posted an explainer on the uniform changes, saying the spear element was first introduced in the 1960s.
The spear is “a potent weapon for a fighter, but its sharpest point, the spearhead or “tip of the spear,” symbolizes the top fighters, those who are unafraid to lead a mission,” the article states. “That energy defines a Commander.”
The article included a statement from Managing Partner Josh Harris focusing on the team’s legacy.
“We’re going to continue to embrace our past but then update it,” Harris said. “This alternate logo is a joining of past and present, with the two elements interweaved at their center. They are separate components with a shared core; pieces of then and now tied to one legacy.”
The Association on American Indian Affairs released a statement on X lambasting the new logo.
“Calling this a ‘legacy’ does not change what the legacy actually is: decades of a racist name and mascot,” the Association on American Indian Affairs said. “Introducing a spear to the logo and using ‘warriors’ and ‘spirit’ while describing it as ‘joining of past and present’ simply invokes the same stereotypes that caused the harm in the first place.”
President Donald Trump criticized the team back in 2020 for the removal of its previous name, the Washington Redskins. The team changed its name to the Commanders following pressure that it was racist toward Native Americans.
The Commanders have faced many controversies as of late, including where the team will play.
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser announced in April that the Commanders would be moving back to the district after playing at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The team originally played at RFK Stadium in Northwest, D.C.
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RFK Stadium has been vacant and crumbling for years. A $2.7 billion investment in the stadium will be used to revamp the venue, add a roof, 65,000 seats, and drive economic growth for the district.
It is expected to open in 2030.
