With the 2020 season around the corner, Washington NFL team's hunt for a new identity and a new nickname is far from over. While the team has agreed to drop the controversial 'Redskins' from their name, the Dan Snyder-owned franchise is yet to finalise a new name for the franchise. Several nicknames like Redtails, Redhawks and even Warriors have been touted as potential new names for the NFL side. However, if a Reddit user is to be believed, there might just be a new contender for Washington's new name.

Redskins potential names: A dark horse in the running?

According to Reddit user 'staticrush,' Washington's NFL team is strongly considering renaming their team to 'Washington Sentinels'. The basis of the claim? The user discovered the company which manages Redskins.com (the team's official website) has registered for the domain name, DCSentinels.com. MarkMonitor Inc. registered the new domain on July 15, per reports. While it remains unclear if the new domain has been registered for the NFL team, fans on social media are seemingly convinced 'Sentinels' will be the new name for the team going forward. 

Also Read | EA Drops Washington's 'Redskins' Name From Madden NFL 21?

ESPN's John Keim, however, denied rumours that the word 'Sentinels' is in the running to become the new nickname of Washington NFL team.

If Dan Snyder and co were to move ahead with 'Washington Sentinels', it could be the perfect homage to the fictional NFL side by the same name that appeared in 2000 movie, 'The Replacements'. Keanu Reeves played the part of Shane Falco, the team's star quarterback. The strip of the Sentinels, as portrayed in the movie, closely resembled that of the New England Patriots with a red, white and blue colour scheme. It remains highly unlikely that Dan Snyder will look to part ways with the team's traditional burgundy and gold pattern.

As explained by Redskins' fan Chad Ryan, DC Sentinels was the name once considered for DC's XFL franchise. The name was briefly trademarked in 2019 by the XFL before the team eventually settled with 'Defenders' as their nickname. XFL, owned by WWE chairman Vince McMahon, was scrapped earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The football league also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and laid off all its employees. 

Coming back to the NFL franchise, there are contradictory reports surrounding the new name of the team. It remains to be seen if the team can finalise a new nickname and a new logo before the 2020 season starts.

In the wake of rapidly rising COVID-19 cases in the US, the NFL recently cancelled all preseason games. The league is yet to announce if the season opener will be postponed to a later date. As of now, the game between Super Bowl LIV champions Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans, scheduled for September 10, will be the first game of the new season (preseason included). 

Also Read | Possible New Names For Redskins As Pressure To Rename Washington NFL Team Keeps Mounting

(Image Credits: AP)