Washington president says new nickname not certain for 2021

Washington Football Team fans could be waiting longer than expected for a new name for their club.

Team president Jason Wright said Tuesday the lengthy process that comes with an NFL team rebrand means it's unlikely to happen in time for the 2021 season.

"I think next year is fast because of how the brand has to come together through uniforms, through approval processes through the league," Wright said, according to Scott Abraham of ABC7. "Next year is fast. There is a pretty good chance we will still be the Washington Football Team next season. We could get there quicker, it's actually pretty hard to get there that quickly because of all the steps that need to happen."

Wright added that Washington will take its time due to a desire to create a brand that truly represents the community.

"Everybody needs to take a deep breath," Wright said. "It's not coming tomorrow. It's a business decision, we need to understand that market. More importantly, it's important to engage the community and the fans. We're also in the process of identifying the folks that should weigh in over time.

"We want this name and brand to represent the entire area, to represent the fan base, but to also attract new folks to this fan base. We want to grow this fan base as part of our new identity."

Washington head coach Ron Rivera said in July that the rebrand could be "a 16-18-month process."

"We want this new name, this new nickname, to be able to stand the test of time - stand for 100 years," said Rivera.

Washington dropped the Redskins team name following intense pressure from team sponsors, including FedEx, which owns the naming rights to the franchise's stadium.