Rob Carr/Getty Images
A.J. Francis playing for the Washington Redskins.
- A former player for the Washington Redskins, who just signed for the New York Giants in free agency, called the team's logo racist in an Instagram post.
- The team's nickname has been generating controversy for years now due to the historical use of the term as a racial slur towards Native Americans.
- Other prominent figures in football have also criticizes the name.
- However, it does not look like the name or logo will be changing anytime soon.
The Washington Redskins nickname has been generating controversy for years and now a former player is weighing in on the topic.
Many view the nickname as racist as the term has historically been used as a slur towards Native Americans. A.J. Francis recently got in on that criticism after leaving Washington for the New York Giants in free agency.
In a recent post on Instagram, Francis included the hashtag, "#AndYourLogoIsRacist."
"When the team you were on didn't appreciate you but the team you played against actually pays attention to the film... #NYStateOfMind #GIANTS #GMEN #BigBlue #NewBeginnings #ImaSeeYallA--TwiceThisYear #October28th #December9th #AndYourLogoIsRacist #ThisMeLaughingAtYallBIGMADinTheCommentsToo 😂😂😂🤘🏽," Francis wrote.
Francis is not the first former Washington player to criticize the name - retired All-Pro defensive player Jason Taylor, who spent a season with the team, has called it offensive, as has former offensive lineman and current NFL analyst Mark Schlereth, who said the name should change. Other prominent figures in football such as Mike Holmgren and Richard Sherman have also criticized the name.
Despite the backlash, Washington owner Daniel Snyder appears obstinate that the name will not change, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently said he does not expect the name to change.
Still, Francis' comments come at a bad time for the Washington franchise, which is already reeling from the negative publicity of a bombshell report in the New York Times about its exploitative treatment of cheerleaders.