I’ll bet if you told new Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn what the reaction was going to be when he wore a Commanders T-shirt to a rookie minicamp last week, you probably could have knocked him over with a feather. Two feathers, actually.
Quinn wore this Commanders T-shirt that no one had seen before — one with two feathers featured on it — and you would have thought he was wearing a map to the Holy Grail.
Between that, and punter Tress Way handing his No. 5 jersey over to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the hottest topic of interest among Washington fans last week was laundry.
The two feathers T-shirt set off a wave of borderline hysteria on social media among Commanders fans, who saw some hidden meaning behind Quinn wearing the shirt.
Was it a signal from ownership that they were considering changing the name back to Redskins? Was it a personal statement about the name by Quinn himself? And who built all those pyramids, anyway?
There is a sizeable contingent out there that would love a return to the old name, buried by Dan Snyder himself after corporate pressure over the racial component of the franchise name during the George Floyd wave of anger. Heck, there’s even a lawsuit out there from a group called the Native American Guardians Association accusing the team of suppressing Indian history by doing away with the name.
“The name ‘Redskins’ carries deep cultural, historical and emotional significance, honoring the bravery, resilience and warrior spirit associated with Native American culture,” the lawsuit states.
Look, Quinn can walk out for the next press conference wearing an Indian headdress. The Redskins’ name is not coming back.
But the new Commanders coach got a pretty good feel for how damaged this fan base is. He probably thought he knew. Few who come in from the outside do.
The team has not had any comment about it. It’s unlicensed apparel, which apparently coaches can wear during practice.
What is licensed apparel, though, are NFL jerseys – specifically the No. 5 that punter Tress Way has worn since he joined the team in 2014.
Turns out that’s the same number that Daniels, the team’s top pick, No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL draft, and their quarterback of the future, wore at LSU.
Here’s how Commanders.com, the team’s website, described what unfolded:
“Head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters gave Way time to think about what to do with his jersey number, but with rookies reporting for minicamp and joint OTAs around the corner, a decision needed to be made. In the end, with a little negotiating between the two players, Way decided to pass the jersey number on to Daniels, meaning that he’ll be sporting a different number for the first time in over a decade.
“It is a very big piece of humble pie to give up this number,” Way said. “But I feel like it’s a bite I should take either way. I feel like it’s the right thing.”
Why? Way is a 10-year veteran. He has performed at a high level when so many others who have worn this team’s jerseys during that time wore them like they had picked it up at the local thrift shop bargain bin.
The last place Way needed to be was in a position to have “time to think about what to do with his jersey number.”
This is, in some ways, the same position Snyder put former Washington Super Bowl quarterback Joe Theismann in back in 2019 when Dwayne Haskins wanted to wear Theismann’s No. 7, which had not been worn since he retired after the 1985 season.
Snyder put the very public decision on Theismann’s shoulders, which put him in a position where anything other than going along looks small and selfish. The owner should have made it clear to Haskins to pick another number — 7 was off-limits.
Peters and Quinn should have done the same thing — they should have told Daniels to pick another number because a veteran already wears No. 5 and he clearly didn’t want to be put in the position where there was an expectation that he give it up.
If you really are serious about changing the culture, you tell the rookies if someone has your number on the roster, pick another number and make your own legacy. You haven’t done anything here yet.
Right after the deal was announced between Way and Daniels, who will send Way’s family to an Oklahoma-LSU football game after Way retires, ESPN reported. Daniels played at LSU, and Way played for Oklahoma. It’s uncertain what else was given to Way.
Soon after, Daniels posted this on his social media account: “Number is official! Commanders fans need y’all to go buy #5 jerseys asap.”
He hadn’t thrown a pass yet or even stepped on a practice field.
That’s the laundry list.
⦁ You can hear Thom Loverro on The Kevin Sheehan Show podcast.
• Thom Loverro can be reached at tloverro@washingtontimes.com.
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