The Washington Commanders football team is beginning to sell merchandise again that bears the team's former name "Washington Redskins," claiming it was necessary in order to keep the trademark.

The team changed its name from the Washington Redskins in 2020, amid decades of pressure from those who said the name was derogatory toward Native Americans. The name was first changed to the Washington Football Team, but became the Commanders in 2022. 

The team is now selling a T-shirt collection that honors three former Redskins players: Art Monk, Darrell Green and Sean Taylor, which will feature the team's retired name on the back and logo on the front. The team said the old name is not coming back.

A spokesperson for the Commanders told WUSA9 that the team is selling the collection in order to protect the trademark, which can become open for public use in the future if they are not careful.

"It's also important that we protect our trademarks," the spokesperson said. "We are required to maintain the marks in commercial usage so that marks remain under franchise control."

A Native American advocacy group in Maryland condemned the sale and return of the old name, maintaining that the name and logo were "racist."

"The Association on American Indian Affairs condemns the sale of merchandise by the Washington Commanders bearing the former racist team name and Native imagery," the group told the outlet.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.