Washington Football Team

D.C.'s NFL squad will NOT be the Washington "Warriors" in the future ... the Washington Football Team announced Monday it has ruled out the potential name change due to feedback from Native American community members.

WFT President Jason Wright explained it all in a lengthy letter posted to the team's website ... saying the "Warriors" nickname -- which many fans have advocated for going forward -- simply did not distance the team enough from its former identity.

"Feedback from across communities we engaged clearly revealed deep-seated discomfort around Warriors, with the clear acknowledgment that it too closely aligns with Native American themes," Wright said.

"Such an embrace of potentially Native-adjacent iconography and imagery would not represent a clear departure that many communities have so forcefully advocated for us to embrace, and that frankly, we set out to do when we started this process a year ago."

Wright didn't say what other monikers have been axed from contention ... adding only, "We will choose an identity that unequivocally departs from any use of or approximate linkage to Native American imagery."

"As I have said many times before, our new identity should unite us," Wright said. "It should bring us together the way this team comes together on the football field and the way we have seen our Fans come together and proudly support our Team and our DMV community."

The Washington Football Team is getting hammered with a staggering, and record-setting, $10 MILLION fine after the NFL wrapped up its sexual misconduct investigation of the organization ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The punishment was determined and handed down Thursday after the league investigated claims that high-ranking figures within the team sexually harassed and verbally abused female employees repeatedly and rampantly over the last decade.

At least 15 women came forward with the allegations last year ... saying the NFL's team workplace was toxic and demeaning toward females.

In a bombshell 2020 Washington Post report, one of the women -- former marketing coordinator Emily Applegate -- said she was told to wear revealing clothes "so the men in the room have something to look at."

Another woman -- who wished to remain anonymous, according to the report -- alleged men in the team's football facility would stand at the base of a staircase near the entrance in order to stare up women's skirts.

The league's fine of the team is historic -- it's the largest The Shield has EVER slapped on a team or individual.

Worth noting, the WFT and its owner, Dan Snyder, just announced sweeping and progressive changes to the organization ... including naming Snyder's wife, Tanya, the new co-CEO. Other changes, some put in motion 18 months ago, include changing the cheerleading squad to a co-ed dance team and installing a more racially diverse front office.

Snyder, who was not personally fined by the league, says ... "I feel great remorse for the people who had difficult, even traumatic experiences while working here. I'm truly sorry for that."

"I can't turn back the clock, but I promise that nobody who works here will ever have that kind of experience again, at least not as long as Tanya and I are owners of this team."

The Washington Football Team is taking player mental health seriously ... hiring the organization's first full-time Director of Wellness to "proactively work on [the players'] mental wellbeing."

The team announced Monday the hiring of Dr. Barbara Roberts -- a full-time clinician with a Ph.D. in psychology who has previously served in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy as a Senior Policy Analyst and Coordinator for Health Policy.

Dr. Roberts "brings an extensive history of experience with professional athletes and looks forward to this opportunity to enhance the NFL Total Wellness mission," the team said in a statement.

According to the WFT, Dr. Roberts is tasked with brining a "proactive approach to handling mental health ... focusing on the development of a foundation for mental wellness and its impact on overall health and performance."

Her program will include "daily mental wellness work and will allow players to proactively work on their mental wellbeing."

Dr. Roberts commented on the new gig -- saying, "I look forward to this opportunity to enhance the NFL Total Wellness mission."

Move over, Jerry World ... Dan Snyder says he's in the process of building his own massive palace for his Washington Football Team -- telling TMZ Sports he expects to have it all done by 2027!!!

The WFT owner was in Los Angeles this week scoping out SoFi Stadium to draw inspiration for the new project ... and he explained to us he's got "big plans" for the building.

The logistics, though, are still murky ... Snyder says they don't have a tentative location or any sort of blueprints yet -- but he and WFT President Jason Wright said they're fired up for it all regardless.

"We're touring stadiums," Snyder said. "We're coming West Coast and touring. There's about 12 of us and we're just looking to build a new venue back home in D.C., Virginia, Maryland."

"So, we're everywhere. Jason, our whole group, 12 of us, we're having some fun and looking at the future."

Snyder says the stadium tour will take them all the way to Europe too ... explaining they hope to get all kinds of ideas for the new "state of the art" facility in the D.C. area.

"We're taking inspiration from everywhere," Wright said. "Because if we're going to do something that our fans really deserve -- which is cutting edge and innovative -- we're going to take in all the ideas. So, we're absorbing."

As for if the team will have a new name by the time the stadium opens ... both Wright and Snyder said they weren't sure of that -- but insisted the search for a permanent moniker is going well.

Amazing update from NFL QB Kyle Allen ... the Washington Football Team player is now moving laterally and jogging -- just 6 months after he suffered a gruesome ankle injury.

Allen's foot was dangling by threads during an NFL game last November ... but now, the dude looks as close to 100 percent as ever, showing off a sturdy ankle and some speed.

In the footage, shared by Allen's girlfriend, the 25-year-old can be seen hopping from side to side ... and then getting in full-length runs up and down a basketball court.

"So freaking proud of you," said Allen's GF, Summer Juraszek. "I screamed when I first saw these progress videos."

You'll recall ... Allen wasn't exactly guaranteed to ever walk again after suffering a horrific lower leg injury against the Giants on Nov. 8, 2020.

NY safety Jabrill Peppers had tackled the QB low as he attempted to escape the pocket ... and Allen was later diagnosed with a dislocated and fractured ankle.

According to his GF, Allen didn't even begin walking on the leg until January 2021 ... so, this week's steps are clearly HUGE for the guy.

The NFC East could come down to the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Washington Demon Cats in 2022???

It's true ... 'cause the Washington Football Team is now putting out feelers to fans regarding potential new monikers, and one of the squad names it's floating includes the "Demon Cats."

It's unclear why -- D.C. has never been known for its demons or its cats -- but it's one of at least 30 names WFT officials sent out to season ticket holders to evaluate this week.

Some of the others that don't make a whole lot of sense? Aces, Belters, Brigade and Rising.

There were some pretty cool ones, though ... WFT -- which ditched its old team name due to its racist ties last year -- also asked fans to weigh in on names like Redtails, Red Hogs and Washington DC Football Club (DCFC).

The list was NOT meant to be a new team name vote, according to WFT execs ... but rather a way for the org. to get a feel for what names were important to its fan base.

WFT officials have said they'd like to have a new nickname in place for 2022. And, they've reiterated multiple times they could just stick with WFT.

Here's the rest of some of the reported monikers WFT fans got a peek at this week:

Aces
Ambassadors
Anchors
Archers
Armada
Aviators
Beacons
Belters
Brigade
Commanders
Defenders
Demon Cats
First City Football Club (FCFC)
Griffins
Guardians
Icons
Majors
Monarchs
Pilots
Presidents
Razorbacks
Redtails
Redwolves
Red Hogs
Renegades
Riders
Rising
Royals
Rubies
Swifts
Warriors
Washington DC Football Club (DCFC)
Wayfarers
Wild Hogs
32FC (W32)

Alex Smith's run in D.C. is over ... the QB has officially been released by the Washington Football Team.

Now, the 36-year-old signal-caller with quite possibly the greatest comeback story EVER will try and continue his NFL career somewhere else.

Remember, Smith suffered a catastrophic injury to his right leg in 2018 -- a spiral and compound fracture to his tibia and fibula -- when he was sacked during a game against the Houston Texans.

The injury was so bad, Smith ultimately needed 17 operations to repair the damage -- and at one point, doctors seriously considered amputating the limb at the knee!

Smith missed the entire 2019 season -- but trained his ass off ... and ultimately returned to the field in 2020.

Miraculously, Smith got the green light from his doctors to resume football activities in July 2020 -- and was activated in August 2020.

Smith served as a backup for most of the season -- but when the starters all went down ... he stepped up and led the WFT in an unlikely Week 13 victory against the then-undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers!

Overall, Smith was 5-1 in games he started in 2020 -- and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

His wife also commissioned an artist to turn his knee brace into a piece that resembled the Lombardi Trophy to commemorate his comeback.

So, what's next for Alex Smith? He reportedly still wants to play ... the question is, will any team make an offer??

Hey, he's defied the odds before ...

The Washington Football Team is making another drastic change -- the organization will feature a coed dance team in 2021 ... ditching its cheerleading program for the first time in more than 50 seasons.

WFT's new senior advisor Petra Pope made the announcement Tuesday, saying the "First Ladies of Football" -- the longest-running cheer program in the NFL -- will be replaced by a coed team for a more "modern and diverse" look.

"We want to be more inclusive, so we are going to invite a coed entity (to audition)," Pope said to USA TODAY Sports.

"We’re able to do more things with the strength of a male, and lifts, so that’s changed a great deal. The inclusivity, strength and interest of choreography has changed."

Even though it's a dance team, former cheerleaders will be allowed to try out for the new squad ... which will consist of more than 36 members.

Of course, this change comes after several former cheerleaders made serious allegations in a Washington Post article last August ... claiming staff members secretly recorded them naked while making a bikini calendar in 2008 and 2010.

The Post said a former staffer was told by the WFT's lead broadcaster that the video was made for team owner Dan Snyder -- a claim Snyder has adamantly denied.

WFT reportedly reached a settlement with the former cheerleaders in 2020.

The NFL is still investigating the WFT for multiple sexual harassment allegations.

The Washington Football Team may have come up short against the Buccaneers, but superstar Chase Young still got a "W" ... courtesy of his brand new diamond chain!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 2020 #2 overall pick loves his new NFL home so much, he decided to pay tribute with his newest piece of jewelry.

We're told Young hit up Gabriel The Jeweler -- go-to guy for huge names like Odell Beckham, Antonio Brown and more -- for the job ... and the finished product is a one-of-a-kind replica of the WFT's "W" logo in diamond form!!

Gabriel tells us the piece is made of 30 carats of emerald-shaped VVS diamonds ... and another 9 carats of round VVS diamonds.

No word on how much dough the rookie dropped on the piece, but we're told it's valued at $85k.

FWIW -- Young's rookie deal is worth $35 million ... so yeah, the dude can definitely treat himself.

Not a bad way to cap off a stellar first season, rook!!

Very cool and inspirational move from NFL star Alex Smith ... the QB transformed his leg-saving brace into a trophy -- and the piece came out AWESOME.

Smith's wife, Liz, revealed the artwork before the signal-caller and the Washington Football Team locked up the NFC East title Sunday night ... saying, "No matter the outcome, Alex has already won."

Liz added praise to the welder who fabricated the piece ... writing, "Special thanks to @coldhardart for transforming a symbol of hard times to a trophy of triumph we can proudly put on our shelves."

Of course, you'll recall ... Smith needed the brace for several months after he broke both his fibula and tibia during a violent hit from J.J. Watt in a November 2018 game.

Alex nearly lost the leg while trying to recover ... ultimately requiring 17 surgeries to fix the break and the ensuing infection it caused.

The 36-year-old, though, has miraculously shown no signs of deteriorated play in his return this season ... and it seems staring at the twisted metal that used to be affixed to his leg has helped in all of that.

The piece is clearly inspired by the Lombardi Trophy -- which is awarded each year to the winner of the Super Bowl.

For the artist's part, Cold Hard Art wrote of transforming the brace, "Might be one of the most unique projects to be part of turning a leg stabilizer into a symbols of strength and determination."

Washington Football Team running back J.D. McKissic is showin' some California love on his newest pair of cleats ... by honoring Tupac and Nipsey Hussle with an awesome design.

TMZ Sports has learned ... that the 27-year-old NFLer wanted to pay tribute to the two rap legends on his Nike kicks ... so he hit up California artist Joe Castro to make it happen.

Castro -- who also did J.D.'s teammate Chase Young's cleats -- came though with an incredibly detailed finished product ... from Tupac's nose ring to Nip's famous "Prolific" tattoo.

Of course, that kinda detail takes a lot of time ... and we're told it required a total of 12 HOURS from start to finish.

BTW -- Castro is also responsible for the incredible King Von cleat tribute for Chiefs WR Tajae Sharpe.

Dwayne Haskins has been released by the Washington Football Team ... this after he was caught partying it up without a mask.

The announcement was made Monday following the team's loss to the Carolina Panthers. The poor record this season -- plus Dwayne's on-camera COVID-risky screw-up, we imagine -- were the final straw for upper management.

Bottom line, the former first-round draft pick is out.

The 2nd year QB released a statement saying, "My time with the WFT has unfortunately come to an end. I thank the team & fans for the opportunity to play for the team I grew up rooting for."

He adds, "I take full responsibility for not meeting the standards of a NFL QB & will become a better man & player because of this experience."

Of course, Dwayne is probably talking about the fact he was recently caught raging with strippers (sans masks or distancing) on the heels of his team's loss to the Seahawks.

Not only that, but Dwayne simply wasn't living up to expectations after Washington made him its top pick in 2019.

For its part, WFT management says they talked to Dwayne, and basically said ... it'd be best if they went their separate ways.

Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder is calling out one of the team's minority owners ... flat out claiming the guy's extorting him in hopes Snyder will unload the NFL franchise.

Snyder filed a declaration stating Dwight Schar, part of the team's ownership group, has been threatening to leak information related to the sexual misconduct allegations made by former WFT employees.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Snyder says Schar is well aware an independent investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing -- however, he claims Schar repeatedly leaked info about the case to the Washington Post and other media outlets, attempting to smear him.

As for the extortion allegation, Snyder claims Schar told Snyder's attorney he had a bombshell that would "kill Dan" if it came out ... and added he would release it if Snyder didn't "just sell the team."

According to the docs, Schar also had the investment banker for the WFT minority owners get in the mix. Snyder claims that guy texted him, "You know what I know and what I've never spoken about ... If you want a s**t show, we are on for that too."

As we've reported, Snyder has long suspected someone was leaking damaging stories to various websites in order to discredit him -- but up until now he hadn't publicly, or even in court, named names.

Snyder's declaration puts it all out in the open -- he's in a civil war with members of his team's ownership. A little background ... those minority owners can't get the full value of their investment unless Snyder, the majority owner, agrees to sell. Snyder's certainly insinuating that's Schar's motive.

Washington Football Team QB Dwayne Haskins is owning up to attending a stripper-filled party without a mask on Sunday ... apologizing for his actions and calling it all "irresponsible."

Pics of the 23-year-old hit social media hours after he quarterbacked WFT in a 20-15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks ... showing the QB and a female friend holding a stack of dollar bills while a dancer performs.

Haskins -- who was also previously fined for breaking COVID protocols earlier this season -- says he's sorry for his lack of judgment.

"I want to publicly apologize for my actions this past Sunday. I spoke with Coach (Ron) Rivera yesterday and took full accountability for putting the team at risk."

"It was irresponsible and immature of me and I accept responsibility for my action."

Haskins also extended an apology to his teammates for creating a distraction as they continue a push for the playoffs.

"I will learn and grow from this and do what’s best for the team moving forward."

The team addressed the situation on Tuesday, saying it's aware of the incident and will handle the matter internally ... but, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, WFT does not intend to release the QB.

Haskins could, however, be hit with a fine or suspension as a result of the strip club visit.

We have 2 leaders in the clubhouse when it comes to the new permanent name for the Washington Football Team ... and one of 'em is inspired by that other brand of football.

Team sources tell us owner Daniel Snyder is strongly considering sticking with the Washington Football Team -- for good reasons that we'll get into in a moment -- but we're also told the Washington Football Club is also in the running.

Washington Football Team or Washington Football Club? WFT or WFC?

Let's break it down. WFT has a lot going for it ... head coach Ron Rivera has the team playing well lately. Yeah, they're only 6-8, but that's good enough to top the NFC East and, as of now, they're in the playoffs. Winning cures all.

As for WFC ... we're told some folks in the organization like the tip of the hat to Premier League powerhouses Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal ... all of which use the FC handle.

Now, we're told it's not a lock Snyder goes with either WFC or WFT ... but he is keen on both. The team hasn't picked a deadline to make a final choice, but it's reportedly eyeing the 2022 season to debut the new permanent handle.