The Washington Commanders were arguably the biggest surprise in the NFL last season, going 12-5 and appearing in the NFC Championship Game. Josh Harris’s second year as owner was outstanding, but his team’s name is again the center of attention after President Donald Trump’s recent comments.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith had a well-thought-out response to the President’s remarks.
Stephen A. Smith Calls Trump ‘Evasive’ in Response to Commanders Name Change Demand
The professional football team representing Washington, D.C., was named the “Redskins” from 1933 until the 2020 season. Former owner Dan Snyder removed the moniker after external pressure from many of the team’s sponsors, and the squad went by the Washington Football Team for two seasons.
President Trump is now pressuring Harris to bring back the offensive moniker, with a recent post saying, “The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this… Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen… OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!”
He also commented that the Commanders’ new stadium deal, which would relocate the team back to D.C., could be contingent upon changing the name. These remarks were met with a thoughtful response from Smith on a recent “First Take” episode.
Smith said, “Well, I think it’s the president being petty. I think it’s him being evasive…He caters to his base because when you look at the Redskins name, obviously, it’s something that needed to be changed…It’s just him catering to his base to make sure that he serves to appease them in some way, to distract them from other issues.”
Stephen A. Smith on Donald Trump calling for the Washington Commanders to return to being the Redskins: “I think that the president’s being petty. I think it’s him being evasive… it’s just him catering to his base to make sure that he serves to appease them in some way, to… pic.twitter.com/5qRLqelo2T
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 21, 2025
While it’s disappointing to see the team’s old moniker returned to the spotlight, it’s good to see that Smith didn’t hold back with his comments. The team has not publicly responded to the President’s remarks.
Washington Had Most Success Under Old Moniker, but Current Commanders Could Change That
Washington won five championships between 1937 and 1991 under the old moniker. Since winning Super Bowl 26, the team has won the NFC East three times under the old name and once as the Football Team, but never advanced beyond the Divisional Round.
The first two years as the Commanders saw no playoffs, and a rock-bottom 4-13 record in 2023 secured the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The team selected Jayden Daniels with that pick, won 12 games in the regular season, and made it to the NFC Championship Game.
Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn have brought new hope to a fanbase starved for success. The team aggressively traded for Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel this offseason and recently signed Von Miller in free agency, so the pieces are in place for another postseason run.
2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the Commanders on the field, but hopefully they won’t be distracted by any off-field nickname nonsense.
