The three minority owners of the Washington Redskins are attempting to sell their stakes in the NFL franchise, according to multiple people familiar with the deliberations.

The minority owners’ bid to sell their shares comes as the Redskins organization is attempting to move on from the most controversial aspect of its heritage, announcing Friday that it was launching a study of the team’s name, which many have long felt is a racial slur.

On Thursday, FedEx became the first major corporate backer of the Redskins to call on the team to change its name.

Despite indications that the Redskins are poised to make that change — an essential first step if Snyder hopes to build a new stadium on the RFK Stadium site in the District — his fellow team owners apparently would rather opt out than go forward.

Any sale of a stake in the Redskins would have to be vetted by the NFL’s finance committee and then ratified by the owners of the league’s other teams.

Just months later, in December 1999, Zuckerman sold his approximately 15 percent stake in the team to Snyder.

According to a person familiar with the relationships between Snyder and the team’s minority owners, Smith’s interest in divesting would be particularly difficult for Snyder to accept.