Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League as part of the National Football Conference East division. The team was founded by George Preston Marshall in 1932 as the Boston Braves, then became the Boston Redskins the next year. They moved to Washington, D.C., in 1937 and became the Washington Redskins.

Over the years, the team’s name and logo faced criticism and were eventually retired. They played as the Washington Football Team for two seasons before becoming the Commanders in 2022. The Commanders have a rich history, winning many games and several big championships, including NFL titles and Super Bowls.

They play their home games at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, with their headquarters and training facility in Ashburn, Virginia. One of their traditions is playing the fight song “Hail to the Commanders” after home game touchdowns, a custom that started in 1937. The team has reached the league’s biggest games many times, showing their long and successful history in the NFL.

History

See also: History of the Washington Commanders and list of seasons

George Preston Marshall era (1932–1965)

The Washington Commanders began as a professional football team in Boston in 1932. Founded by George Preston Marshall, the team was originally named after a baseball team and played in a shared stadium. They soon changed their name and moved to different venues.

After facing challenges in Boston, the team moved to Washington, D.C., in 1937. There, they played their first game and soon achieved their first division title and championship. Despite early successes, the team faced tough losses, including a record-setting defeat. Over the years, they continued to compete, with notable performances and changes in leadership.

Edward Bennett Williams era (1965–1979)

Marshall brought in Edward Bennett Williams to help manage the team. Williams later took full control after Marshall's passing. Under Williams, the team saw new leadership and moments of success, including playoff appearances and coaching changes.

Jack Kent Cooke era (1979–1998)

Jack Kent Cooke became the team's owner in 1979. During his time, the team experienced various highs and lows, including playoff runs and changes in coaching staff. Cooke also oversaw the construction of a new stadium.

Daniel Snyder era (1999–2023)

In 1999, Daniel Snyder purchased the team. His ownership saw many changes, including name changes, coaching shifts, and moments of both success and struggle. The team made the playoffs several times but also faced periods of poor performance.

Josh Harris era (2023–present)

In 2023, Josh Harris became the new owner of the team. Under his leadership, the team has undergone fresh changes, including new coaching staff and players. The Commanders aim to build a stronger future for the franchise.

Logos and uniforms

The Washington Commanders' main colors are a deep red called burgundy and gold. From 1961 to 1978, the team wore gold pants with both burgundy and white jerseys, though the designs changed a few times. Gold face masks were added in 1978 and are still used today; before that, they were grey.

For most of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, the team often wore white jerseys at home, a tradition started by coach Joe Gibbs in 1981. Before Gibbs, the team rarely wore white at home. Their classic look was white jerseys over burgundy pants at home.

The burgundy jerseys were mainly used when the other team chose to wear white, especially against the Dallas Cowboys. From 1981 to 2000, the team usually wore white jerseys over burgundy pants at home. In 1994, they wore special uniforms to celebrate the NFL's 75th anniversary, mimicking their 1937 designs.

In 2001, they wore burgundy for all home games. In 2002, they celebrated 70 years since the team began in 1932 with a special uniform. In 2004, they returned to wearing white jerseys at home.

Their white jerseys came in different color mixes. In 2003, they wore all white uniforms for the first time, which brought them a winning streak. In 2006, they wore white jerseys over burgundy pants again.

In 2008, they wore all-burgundy uniforms for one game. In 2010, they brought back gold pants with burgundy jerseys. In 2011, they used many different uniform mixes. In 2012, they wore a special throwback uniform based on their 1937 championship design.

From 2014 to 2016, they wore gold pants with their regular uniforms. In 2017, they brought back all-burgundy uniforms. In 2018, they switched to white pants for most home games.

In 2020 and 2021, while called the Washington Football Team, they used a simple "W" logo. In 2022, they became the Commanders and introduced new uniforms with military-inspired designs. The main home uniform is burgundy with gold and white stripes. The away uniform is white with burgundy details. They also have an all-black alternate uniform.

In 2024, gold pants returned. The usual home look is burgundy on gold, and the away look is white on burgundy.

In 2025, they introduced throwback uniforms based on the 1980s design with white jerseys and burgundy pants. The helmet features the team's gold "W" logo instead of the old logo.

During 2020 and 2021, while called the Washington Football Team, their logo was a simple "W" and the helmets had player numbers. The Commanders rebranding in 2022 brought new logos and uniforms with military-inspired themes. The main home uniform stays burgundy with gold and white stripes, and the letters have a gold base. The away white uniform has burgundy and white gradient numbers with black trim, plus gradient stripes. Both uniforms pair with either burgundy or white pants. There's also an all-black uniform with the team name on the left chest in gold, and numbers with a gold base and burgundy trim. This black uniform comes with black pants and a black helmet featuring the "W" logo and uniform numbers on the sides. A pig mascot named Major Tuddy was introduced near the end of the 2021 season. In 2024, gold pants returned to the uniform options for the first time since 2018. The usual uniform mix from then on was burgundy-on-gold at home and white-on-burgundy on the road, with burgundy socks.

Rivalries

Divisional

Dallas Cowboys

Main article: Commanders–Cowboys rivalry

The Washington Commanders have a long-standing rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys. These two teams have won many division titles and championships together, including several Super Bowls. Their rivalry began in 1960 when the Cowboys joined the NFL. Since 1961, they have been in the same division and play each other twice every regular season.

Philadelphia Eagles

Main article: Commanders–Eagles rivalry

The Commanders also have a rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles, which started way back in 1934. Washington has won more games in this rivalry.

New York Giants

Main article: Commanders–Giants rivalry

Another rival is the New York Giants. Their rivalry began in 1932, and the Giants have won more games overall.

Other

Baltimore Ravens (Beltway Bowl)

The Commanders have a smaller rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens because they are close by. They usually only play each other during preseason games. The Ravens have won more of these meetings. After the Baltimore Colts moved away, the Commanders' owner helped make sure a new team didn’t start in Baltimore. Later, when the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens, the Commanders built their stadium in nearby Maryland.

Players

See also: List of Washington Commanders players, starting quarterbacks, and draft selections

Some numbers are not used by other players as a way to honor past team members.

Names in bold show players who are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame mostly because of their time with Washington.

When the team moved from RFK Stadium in 1996, they started a new tradition called the "Ring of Fame" to honor important players and coaches. Team founder George Preston Marshall was removed from this honor in 2020.

To celebrate the team's history, special lists of great players and coaches have been made for different anniversaries. In 2002, for the team's 70th anniversary, a group of people chose the "70 Greatest" players and coaches. In 2012, ten more were added for the 80th anniversary, and in 2022, ten more were added for the 90th anniversary. The list includes coaches and players who have helped the team win important games, including Super Bowls and older World Championships.

Staff

Owners

Front office and coaches

See also: List of Washington Commanders head coaches

Command Force

The Command Force is the team's dance and performance group. They started in 1962 as a cheerleading squad called the Redskinettes. In 2022, when the team changed its name to the Commanders, the group was renamed the Command Force. They are sometimes called the First Ladies of Football.

Records

Franchise

Main article: List of Washington Commanders team records

The Washington Commanders have many special records for games, seasons, and careers. In single games, players have made lots of passes, caught many balls, and scored many points. Some of the best performances happened in big games.

NFL

Offense

The Commanders have had some amazing offensive games. In 1983, they scored 541 points, one of the highest totals ever in a season. They once scored 72 points in a single game, which is the most any NFL team has ever scored in a regular-season game.

Defense

On defense, the Commanders have also made history. They once recovered eight fumbles in one game, the most ever. They have also allowed very few points and yards in some seasons, showing how strong their defense can be.

Special teams

The Commanders have been great at special teams too. They have led the league in field goals many times and have had some of the best punting and kick returns in NFL history.

Broadcasting

Main article: List of Washington Commanders broadcasters

The Washington Commanders have many radio and TV stations that broadcast their games. Their main radio station is Big 100, which started broadcasting the team's games in 2022. Famous voices like Frank Herzog and Larry Michael have announced the games over the years. Today, Bram Weinstein is the main announcer, with help from former players.

Different radio stations have been the main home for the team's broadcasts over time. In the past, stations like WMAL, WTEM, and WJFK-FM carried the games. Today, most of the team's regular season games are shown on TV by NFL on Fox. In 2024, the team started working with WUSA to show preseason games and other special content.

U.S. presidential election superstition

Main article: Redskins Rule

For many years, people noticed a pattern between the Washington Commanders team's results and United States presidential elections. From 1932 to 2008, when the Commanders won their last home game before Election Day, the party of the current president often stayed in power. There were a few times when this pattern did not happen, such as in 2004, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024.