Washington Commanders

• 1. Founding And Early Years

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  The city of Boston awarded a National Football League franchise to American businessman George Preston Marshall on the 9th of July 1932. The team was named the Boston Braves and shared Braves Field with the baseball team of the same name. Lud Wray coached the squad during its inaugural season before Lone Star Dietz took over in 1933. That year, the franchise changed its name to the Redskins and began playing home games at Fenway Park. Marshall faced significant challenges in Boston, as professional football had little traction compared to college sports in New England. Joe F. Carr described Boston as the most forbidding ground for professional football in the country. The Redskins appeared in their first NFL Championship Game in 1936 but lost to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 21, 6. After five years in Boston, Marshall decided to move the team due to a lack of interest from fans. In 1937, the franchise relocated to Washington, D.C., and arranged to share Griffith Stadium with the Washington Senators. Their first game in the new city resulted in a victory over the New York Giants. The team won its first division title that same season and claimed its first championship by defeating the Chicago Bears in the 1937 NFL Championship Game.

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• 2. Integration Controversy

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  For decades, George Preston Marshall refused to integrate his team despite mounting pressure from the U.S. government. Two months into the Kennedy administration on the 24th of March 1961, Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall warned Marshall to hire Black players or face federal retribution. This marked the first time the federal government attempted to desegregate a professional sports team. The Redskins were under threat of civil rights legal action which would have prevented them from playing at the federally owned D.C. Stadium. In 1962, Washington became the final professional American football franchise to integrate. The team selected running back Ernie Davis of Syracuse as the first overall pick in the draft. Davis was the first Black player to win the Heisman Trophy but died of leukemia before ever playing a down for the team. Marshall traded Davis's rights to the Cleveland Browns for veteran running back Bobby Mitchell. Mitchell became the first Black player to sign a contract with the Redskins and led the league with 11 touchdowns in 1962. He was joined over time by other Black players including Charley Taylor, Larry Brown, Brig Owens, and John Nisby. The team finished the 1962 season with its best record in five years.

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• 3. Championship Dynasties

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  Jack Kent Cooke purchased majority interest in the franchise in 1974 and hired Joe Gibbs as head coach on the 13th of January 1981. During the 1982 season, a 57-day players' strike reduced the schedule to nine games. The Redskins won six of their seven remaining games to make the playoffs for the first time since 1976. They defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the playoffs where John Riggins rushed for 185 yards. In the NFC Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys, Dexter Manley knocked out quarterback Danny White and Darryl Grant intercepted a tipped pass for a touchdown. Riggins scored two touchdowns on 36 carries as Washington defeated the Cowboys 31, 17. The team went on to win Super Bowl XVII by defeating the Miami Dolphins 27, 17. Riggins gained the go-ahead touchdown on fourth down and won the Super Bowl MVP award. Placekicker Mark Moseley became the only placekicker in NFL history to be named Most Valuable Player that year. The 1983 season saw the team score an NFL record 541 points with Riggins scoring 24 touchdowns. Quarterback Joe Theismann was named the 1983 NFL MVP after throwing 29 touchdown passes. The Redskins lost Super Bowl XVIII to the Raiders but returned to prominence in 1987. During the 1987 strike-shortened season, no players crossed picket lines and replacement squads won three games. Washington routed the Denver Broncos 42, 10 in Super Bowl XXII after starting the game down 10, 0. Doug Williams threw four touchdowns in the second quarter to become the first Black quarterback to lead his team to a championship.

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• 4. Snyder Era Turmoil

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  Daniel Snyder purchased the franchise from Jack Kent Cooke for $800 million on the 25th of May 1999. In his first season as owner, the team went 6, 10 and made the playoffs for the first time since 1992. Stephen Davis rushed for 1,405 yards while Brad Johnson completed 316 passes. The team defeated the Detroit Lions in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14, 13. The following years saw frequent coaching changes including Steve Spurrier who resigned after the 2003 season with three years left on his contract. Joe Gibbs returned as head coach in 2004 but the team finished 6, 10 that year. Sean Taylor was drafted in 2004 and became a key player until he died after being shot by home intruders in November 2007. The team struggled through multiple seasons with poor records despite individual achievements like Clinton Portis leading the league in rushing yards in 2008. Robert Griffin III was selected second overall in the 2012 NFL draft and led the team to their first division title since 1999. However, the team failed to sustain success and missed the playoffs in subsequent years. Kirk Cousins set franchise records for passing yards and touchdowns in 2015 and 2016 but the team still missed the postseason.

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• 5. Name Change And Rebranding

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  In July 2020, the team announced it would retire the Redskins name and logo following racial unrest triggered by the murder of George Floyd. A letter signed by 87 shareholders urged sponsors Nike, FedEx, and PepsiCo to cut ties unless the name changed. Retail companies began removing merchandise from their stores. The team played as the Washington Football Team for two seasons before rebranding as the Commanders in 2022. Ron Rivera was hired as head coach and Jason Wright became team president, the first Black person named to that position in NFL history. An independent investigation by lawyer Beth Wilkinson concluded a year-long review of workplace culture under Snyder. The report found sexual harassment, bullying, and intimidation were common throughout the organization. The NFL fined the team $10 million in response. Snyder stepped down from running day-to-day operations giving those responsibilities to his wife Tanya. A U.S. House Oversight Committee report later corroborated claims and accused him of withholding security deposits from season ticket holders. The 2023 season saw the hiring of Martin Mayhew as general manager making Washington the first NFL team with a minority general manager, head coach, and president.

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• 6. Uniform Evolution

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  The franchise's primary colors are burgundy and gold. From 1961 through 1978, Washington wore gold pants with both burgundy and white jerseys. Gold face masks were introduced in 1978 replacing grey ones. Joe Gibbs started the tradition of wearing white jerseys over burgundy pants at home when he took over as coach in 1981. Prior to Gibbs's arrival, the only season the Redskins wore white at home was 1964. In 1994, the team wore special uniforms emulating their inaugural season in Washington in 1937. These featured burgundy jerseys with gold numbers bordered in white and white jerseys with burgundy numbers bordered in gold. Both sets included patches reproducing those worn on full-length sleeves of 1937 jerseys. The helmets were plain burgundy with gold facemasks. In 2001, the team switched to wearing burgundy for all home games per a decision by coach Marty Schottenheimer. During the 2004 season, Gibbs returned and the team switched back to wearing white jerseys at home. They never wore burgundy jerseys at home during his 16 years as head coach. The Commanders rebranding in 2022 included new logos and uniforms featuring military-inspired motifs. The primary home uniform remained burgundy with gold and white stripes. An alternate black uniform features the team name on the left chest in gold with an alternate black helmet having the W logo.

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• 7. Divisional Rivalries

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  The rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys began in 1960 when the expansion team joined the league. Texas oil tycoon Clint Murchison Jr. had been eager to bring an NFL team to Dallas but faced difficulties. Marshall was initially opposed to the Dallas franchise until Murchison purchased rights to Washington's fight song from Barnee Breeskin for $2,500. If Marshall approved the Dallas franchise, Murchison would return the song rights. The Cowboys were founded and began playing in 1960. At that time, a matchup between the teams on Thanksgiving became the most-watched regular-season game broadcast by the NFL on Fox. The series is tied 31, 31 as of 2016. The rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles began in 1934 and Washington leads the series. The rivalry with the New York Giants started in 1932 and the Giants lead the all-time series. Other geographic rivalries include the Baltimore Ravens who play about 40 miles away during the preseason Beltway Bowl. The Commanders have won 31 combined division titles and 10 championships including eight combined Super Bowls with the Cowboys.

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