We can finally say that we are in the homestretch of our rebrand journey. We know this has been a long process -- one with a lot of pieces and details -- and we appreciate you sticking with us. It's been a while since we've filled you in, and now that we're in the final phases of this massive undertaking, we want to share two final updates.

First, and I'll cut to the chase here, we can confirm that, after careful consideration, our team name will not be Wolves or RedWolves. One of the most awesome and powerful aspects of this process has been getting to hear and understand your preferences directly, and we know that many of you loved one or both of these names. And because of that, we want to share some context behind our decision not to move forward with these names. You all deserve nothing less.

Early on we understood Wolves -- or some variation of it -- was one of our fan favorites. As I've said all along, we take feedback from our fans seriously, and because of your interest in this name, we put Wolves on a list of options to explore fully. Once we began looking into Wolves, however, we became aware of a notable challenge: trademarks held by other teams would limit our ability to make the name our own. And without Wolves, variations like RedWolves wouldn't have been viable either for these and other reasons.

Understanding the weight and importance of our team name, and excitement around other name options -- both internally and within our fan base -- we didn't want to risk going down a route that could be dotted with legal hurdles. The prospect of years of litigation wasn't something that we wanted you, our fans, to have to bear as you begin to embrace a new brand.

We can't wait to hit the ground running with our team name and identity on a clear path -- one without distracting obstacles, legal or otherwise. And while we've always understood it would be a nearly impossible task to select a name that all of our fans would identify with as their first pick, we are very excited about our final selection, which aligns with our values, carries forth our rich history, represents the region and, most importantly, is inspired and informed by you, our fans.

We are confident that this identity is one that our team and our fans across D.C., Maryland, Virginia and beyond can rally behind for another 90 years and more as we continue to cheer on the Burgundy & Gold in this next chapter.

What comes next is exciting and fast-approaching -- and here's my second update: we can't wait to reveal our team name to the world on Feb. 2, 2022! Mark your calendars, Washington Family. This is not a day you'll want to miss!