Darrell Green Pushing Washington For 'Red Tails' Nickname, '1st & Only Choice'

Washington legend Darrell Green tells TMZ Sports ... there should be only one route Dan Snyder takes when it comes to renaming his NFL franchise -- and that's to go with the "Red Tails" moniker.

"I would say that would be my first and only choice right now," the Hall of Fame cornerback says.

Of course, the Red Tails was the nickname given to the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II with planes that had red paint on the tails.

Green says it would be an amazing move on Snyder's part to call his team that ... this after decades of holding onto the controversial and downright racist "Redskins" nickname.

"The Red Tails are some of the greatest heroes of any color in our country," Green says, "and particularly against the extraordinary horrors that the Tuskegee Airmen were up against."

Green's backing of the name comes just days after Washington's franchise QB, Dwayne Haskins, also threw his support behind the potential new mascot.

Green tells us he hasn't yet been asked by Snyder or anyone in Washington's organization for input ... but he's hopeful they'll reach out to him soon.

"I'd love to be part of discussions moving forward," Green says.

In the meantime, Darrell is working on a really cool project with other NFL players ... helping raise awareness and money for minorities who have been impacted during the coronavirus pandemic.