It could take pressure from the other 31 owners and the league office itself to force Snyder's hand. A Redskins spokesman said the team had no comment, while the NFL did not immediately respond to questions about the future of the name.

A peer-reviewed UC Berkeley study co-authored by Eason and University of Michigan diversity of social transformation professor of psychology Stephanie Fryberg that was released earlier this year revealed 49% of the 1,000 Native Americans surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that the name was offensive. That number goes up to 67% among those who strongly identify as Native.

“How do you poll the use of the ‘N-word?’” said Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter, leader of the “Change the Mascot” campaign. “Are you actually going to take a vote on whether or not that’s OK? If you’re degrading and disrespecting someone, you should not do it, even though it’s just a few people.”

Read the full article at the New York Times.