In addition to the public statement FedEx shared on July 2 formally asking the Redskins to change their name, the company also sent a letter to the team saying that if the name was not changed all signage from FedExField will be removed following the 2020 NFL season, The Washington Post's Liz Clarke reported.
FedEx currently holds the naming rights to the stadium and has a deal in place that carries through the 2025 season. Frederick Smith, CEO of FedEx is a minority owner in the Redskins, though he has been reportedly looking to sell his share.
According to Clarke, who spoke with a person familiar with the letter, FedEx stated that the current name would harm the image and reputation of its brand. Additionally, the moniker goes against the company's ideals of being all-inclusive and diverse. Staying with the Redskins would only harm FedEx's reputation and relationship with customers in the future.
Therefore, unless the name is changed, FedEx will no longer have any involvement at Washington's current stadium.
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The news is the latest major domino to fall since major requests to change the name came from the likes of FedEx as well as investors in PepsiCo and Nike last week. Since then, PepsiCo has made a statement requesting a name change while Nike has removed all Redskins merchandise from their website.
They are not alone, as Amazon, Target and Walmart, are among the others that have eliminated Washington gear from their online retail shops.Â
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Washington is currently conducting an internal review of the name, but a change is expected. However, switching a team name is something that generally takes time, meaning there's no guarantee it happens before the 2020 season begins.
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