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The Washington Football Team have appointed Jason Wright as their new president - making him the NFL's first black team president.

Wright, 38, is a former running back for the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals.

His appointment comes a month after the franchise announced they would drop the team name 'Redskins', a term offensive to Native Americans.

"This team, at this time, is an ideal opportunity for me," said Wright.

"The transformation of the Washington Football Team is happening across all aspects of the organisation - from football to operations to branding to culture - and will make us a truly modern and aspirational franchise.

"We want to set new standards for the NFL."

Major sponsors - including FedEx, Nike, Pepsi and Bank of America - had threatened to pull funding from Washington unless they considered renaming themselves.

Wright becomes the youngest team president in the league and is the fourth former NFL player to take up the role.

Following his retirement from playing in 2011, he attended business school before working at McKinsey & Company, a global strategy and management consulting firm in Washington DC.

"If I could custom design a leader for this important time in our history, it would be Jason," said Washington owner Dan Snyder.

"His experience as a former player, coupled with his business acumen, gives him a perspective that is unrivalled in the league. We will not rest until we are a championship calibre team, on and off the field.

"Jason has a proven track record in helping businesses transform culturally, operationally and financially. He is a proactive and assertive advocate for inclusion of all people and will set new standards for our organisation, and for the league.

"There could not be a better duo than Jason Wright and coach Ron Rivera as we usher in a new era for Washington Football."