The Washington Commanders a professional American football team that plays in the NFC East division. They are a part of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL).
The team, formerly known as the Washington Redskins, recently changed it’s name twice. It went from being the Redskins to being just the Washington Commanders for the 2021/22 NFL season. The 2022/23 NFL season was the first that the franchise played with the nickname “Commanders.” The Redskins nickname had been under fire for years. It struck many as inappropriate to emphasize skin color in as a sports team’s nickname.
The Commanders play their homes games at the FedExField, located in Landover, Maryland. The team is headquartered in nearby Ashburn, Virginia. Since its inception, Washington has played over 1,000 games and is a rare franchise in the league from the perspective that it can boast more than 600 game wins.
Moreover, this was the first team to be an NFL franchise with its own fight song – ‘Hail to the Redskins’ and its own official marching band. The value of the Washington Commanders is very high. A value of $6 billion was associated with the team in an April 13th, 2023 article at Forbes.com (Mike Ozanian).
All About The Washington Commanders
The team, which was originally founded in 1932, was called the Boston Braves. However, it was renamed the Redskins after just one season. In 1937, it relocated to Washington, DC, the capital city of the USA. That same year it won the NFL Championship game and repeated this success in 1942. They also won Super Bowls XVII, XXII and XXVI. Moreover, the team has made it through to the league finals a further six times, losing NFL Championship games in 1936, 1940, 1943, and 1945. Post-merger and during the Super Bowl era, the Washington franchise lost out in Super Bowls VII and XVIII.
The Washington Commanders, to date, boast no less than 15 division titles as well as 25 postseason appearances. Having won three Super Bowls, they are equal to the Las Vegas Raiders and the Denver Broncos. The Washington franchise is behind the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants, franchises that have four each. The Washington Commanders are also behind the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers with five each and the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers who have each won six titles.
Washington Commanders Player Personnel
- The Team Owner: Daniel Snyder
- Washington Commanders CEO: Tanya Snyder
- Team President: Jason Wright
- The Philadelphia Eagles Head coach: Ron Rivera
- General manager: Martin Mayhew
Much of Washington’s success was achieved in two strong periods for the team historically. From 1946 to 1945 they reached the NFL Championship six times, winning twice. Then, between 1982 and 1991 they reached the postseason seven times, winning four conference titles and reaching the Super Bowl four times (winning three of those). However, between these two time periods, things weren’t so good. Between 1946 and 1970, the team had just four winning seasons and failed to clinch a playoff berth at all in those years. Between 1956 and 1968 Washington did not even manage one winning season – and in 1961 they could only manage a terrible 1-12-1 regular-season record.
The last time the Washington franchise won the Super Bowl was in 1991, when QB Mark Rypien won the Super Bowl MVP, heading his side defeat the Buffalo Bills 37-24. Since then, they have had really spotty results.
Washington Commanders Main Rivalries
Historically, Washington has had some strong rivalries within the league.
Dallas Cowboys
The rivalry between the Cowboys and Washington features two teams that, in combination, have won eight Super Bowls. The rivalry began when the Cowboys joined the NFL in 1960 and were placed in the same division as Washington in 1961 despite significant travel distance between the two cities. Since then, they have played each other twice every year. There was some business animosity between the two franchises at inception that served as a catalyst in this rivalry.
Heading into the 2023/24 NFL season, the Washington Commanders are well behind the Dallas Cowboys in the head-to-head series. Dallas leads 76-48-2. The two teams will meet on November 23rd, 2023, and then to conclude the 2023/34 regular season on January 7th, 2024.
Philadelphia Eagles
The rivalry between the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles began in 1934. This is considered to be one of the hottest rivalries in the NFL and has produced some very memorable moments – most famously the ‘Body Bag Game’ which saw the Eagles knock out nine of the opposition players with injuries in a 1990 game.
In terms of success, Washington leads the way with 89 wins compared to the Eagles’ 82 wins and 5 draws. Comparing the two, the Washington Commanders has won five league championships including three Super Bowls. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles have won four league titles including one Super Bowl. Philadelphia and Washington will meet on October 1st, 2023, and then again later that month on October 29th in the upcoming NFL regular season.
New York Giants
This rivalry first began in 1932 with the creation of the Boston Braves – and is the oldest rivalry in the NFC East division. This has led to fantastic competition, particularly in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1980s. Indeed the 1980s rivalry is considered the hottest of all time when the two teams competed for division titles and Super Bowl wins. In this time, these two teams won a combined 7 NFC East division titles, won 5 Super Bowls, and went head to head in the 1986 NFC Championship Game – a 17-0 victory for the Giants.
The Giants dub the Washington Commanders their truest rivals. Heading into the 2023/24 NFL season, the Giants lead the all-time series 106-71-5. They will play on October 22nd, 2023, and then again on November 19th.
The Washington Commanders Facts
Here is everything you need to know about the Washington Commanders.
The Washington Commanders Nicknames
- The Burgundy and Gold
- The ‘Skins’ (when they were called the Washington Redskins)
- The Hogs
Championships Wins:
League championships
NFL championships (before the 1970 AFL–NFL merger)
- 1937 and 1942
Super Bowl Championships wins:
- 1982 (Super Bowl XVII)
- 1987 (Super Bowl XXII)
- 1991 (Super Bowl XXVI)
NFL/NFC Conference Championships
The Washington Commanders League Championships wins
NFC Conference Wins:
- 1972
- 1982
- 1983
- 1987
- 1991
Division Championships
Since first being formed, the Washington Commanders has won 6 NFL Eastern Division Championships:
- 1936
- 1937
- 1940
- 1942
- 1943
- 1945
The team has also won 9 NFC East Division titles:
- 1972
- 1983
- 1984
- 1987
- 1991
- 1999
- 2012
- 2015
- 2020
- 1980
- 1988
Playoff Appearances
Since the team was first created, the Washington Commanders clinched a playoff spot 25 times – this includes division wins and wild card berth playoff berths:
1936, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2020.
The Washington Commanders Home Fields
There have been a total of five home fields in the history of the Washington Commanders:
- Braves Field in 1932
- Fenway Park between 1933 and 1936
- Griffith Stadium between 1937 and 1960
- Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium between 1961and 1996
- FedEx Field from 1997 to present day
Washington Commanders Pro Football Hall of Famers
Players
- No. Player Position Dates Induction
- 9 Sonny Jurgensen QB 1964–1974 1983
- 17 Turk Edwards OT–DT 1932–1940 1969
- 20 Cliff Battles RB–CB 1932–1937 1968
- 21 Deion Sanders CB 2000 2011
- 26 Paul Krause S 1964–1967 1998
- 26 Don Shula DB 1957 1997
- 27 Ken Houston S 1973–1980 1986
- 28 Darrell Green CB 1983–2002 2008
- 33 Sammy Baugh QB–S–P 1937–1952 1963
- 35 Bill Dudley RB–CB 1950–1953 1966
- 40 Wayne Millner TE–DE 1936–1941 1968
- 42 Charley Taylor WR 1964–1977 1984
- 44 John Riggins RB 1976–1985 1992
- 49 Bobby Mitchell RB 1962–1968 1983
- 55 Chris Hanburger LB 1965–1978 2011
- 68 Russ Grimm G 1981–1991 2010
- 70 Sam Huff LB 1964–1969 1982
- 73 Stan Jones DT 1966 1991
- 75 Deacon Jones DE 1974 1980
- 78 Bruce Smith DE 2000–2003 2009
- 81 Art Monk WR 1980–1993 2008
- 89 Dave Robinson LB 1973–1974 2013
- 60 Dick Stanfel OG 1956–1958 2016
- 55 Jason Taylor DE/LB 2008 2017
- 24 Champ Bailey CB 1999–2003 2019
Coaches and Contributors
- Name Position Seasons Inducted
- George Allen Head coach 1971–1977 2002
- Ray Flaherty Head coach 1936–1942 1976
- Joe Gibbs Head coach 1981–1992
- . 2004–2007 1996
- Curly Lambeau Head coach 1952–1953 1963
- Vince Lombardi Head coach 1969 1971
- George P Marshall Owner and founder 1932–1969 1963
- Bobby Beathard General manager 1978–1989 2018
Washington Commanders Most Valuable Player Awards
Here are all the Most Valuable Player Awards (MVP) received by Washington Commanders players:
- Season Player Position
- 1972 Larry Brown RB
- 1982 Mark Moseley K
- 1983 Joe Theismann QB
The Washington Commanders FAQ
Who is the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders?
Sam Howell is expected to be Washington’s QB1 in the 2023/24 season.
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