Washington Commanders Are Selling “Redskins” Merchandise At Team Shop — Shocking Reason Behind It Revealed
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Washington Commanders fans can buy Redskins gear again. The old name and logo appear on limited Mitchell & Ness throwbacks. The items sit in the team shop at Northwest Stadium and online.
The shirts honor former stars who played under the old name. Art Monk, Darrell Green and the late Sean Taylor appear on the designs. One Art Monk tee shows him in the classic helmet. The back reads “Washington Redskins” plus his stats. It sells for $49.99.
Sean Taylor’s retired No. 21 replica jersey costs $114.99. It carries the Redskins name on the front and a 75th anniversary patch. The team still lists these pieces as Commanders products.
Washington Commanders Cite Trademark Law
WUSA9 reporter Eric Flack first spotted the merch. A club spokesman told him the sales protect the marks.
“We are required to maintain the marks in commercial usage so that marks remain under franchise control.”
NEW: Commanders selling merch with the retired Redskins name and logo — and team says the reason is trademark law.
“We are required to maintain the marks in commercial usage so that marks remain under franchise control.”
But position on returning to old name hasn’t changed. pic.twitter.com/c6ZyGENrbV
— Eric Flack (@EricFlackTV) August 25, 2026
The name change happened in 2020. The franchise later settled on Commanders. Owner Josh Harris has said a portion of the fan base felt disrespected by the old name. The team repeats that the name is not coming back.
IP attorney Ariel Givner explained the legal angle.
“Under US trademark law, if you stop using a mark in commerce for three straight years, it’s presumed abandoned,” he wrote.
As an IP nerd, I can confirm this is true!
Under US trademark law, if you stop using a mark in commerce for three straight years, it’s presumed abandoned and anyone can try to snatch it.
The Commanders are doing the absolute minimum commercial use required so the marks stay… https://t.co/DldzgaebpS
— Ariel Givner (@GivnerAriel) August 26, 2026
The Commanders are doing the minimum use required so the marks stay under their control. Three years of non-use can trigger a legal presumption of abandonment. Limited sales keep the trademarks from floating into the public domain.
Washington Commanders Still Reject Old Name
The team, however, made it clear that this is not a rebrand. Harris and the front office have said the Commanders’ identity stays. They also plan an alternate helmet with a spear through the W. Some fans see that as another nod to the past.
The items remain limited. Monk, Green and Taylor played their careers as Redskins, not Commanders. The shop markets the gear as a way to honor those players while keeping legal control of the old marks.
Fans who want the throwbacks can walk into the stadium store or order online today. The official line has not changed. The Washington Commanders name stays. The old script just sits on a few shelves again.
