5 new Washington Commanders nicknames to end name-change cycle forever

No. 4 Washington Commanders alternate name: Washington Football Team

‘Washington Football Team’ wasn’t exactly a beloved moniker in the moment, but with the benefit of hindsight and a season of Commanders football in the rearview mirror, there’s budding nostalgia for a simpler time.

The format of ‘Washington Football Team’ is by no means breaking new ground. Every football (read: soccer) club around the world is named in this general fashion. Barcelona FC. New York City FC. Fenerbahce SK. And so forth. The née-Commanders would simply be bringing the popular format back to the NFL on a permanent basis.

‘WFT’ is a clean and simple abbreviation. No more trying in vain to shorten Commanders — Comms? Manders? Yikes! — and no more trying in vain to figure out the perfect mascot for the nation’s capitol. Make Washington the mascot!

No. 3 Washington Commanders alternate name: Wolves

‘Wolves’ isn’t the most unique or innovative name, but something about ‘Washington Wolves’ rolls off the tongue. It’s alliterative — a stout and sturdy name. Why get caught up in extra syllables or a misguided stab at patriotism when you can simply break out the ‘WW’ abbreviation, fashion a sleek logo around one of nature’s most elegant predators, and sit contentedly while the Wolves devour the Cowboys.

‘RedWolves’ was a name finalist in 2022. The gut instinct to shoehorn ‘Red’ into the name is understandable given the team’s history, but there was quite a bit of justified controversy around the original team name and there’s no need to pay homage. Leave ‘Red’ in the past and look toward the future.

While wolves aren’t generally thought of as D.C. creatures, the area has been dealing with a sprawling population of coyote-wolf hybrids, so there’s a local tie. “Washington Coyote-Wolves” is too wordy, so we’ll stick with Wolves for now.