Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders
Current season
Logo Wordmark
Uniforms
Basic info
EstablishedJuly 9, 1932 (1932-07-09)
StadiumNorthwest Stadium (Landover, Maryland)
HeadquarteredAshburn, Virginia[a]
Colors
  • Burgundy, gold, white, black
  •        
Fight song"Hail to the Commanders"
MascotMajor Tuddy
Websitecommanders.com
Personnel
Owner(s)Josh Harris
PresidentMark Clouse
General managerAdam Peters
Head coachDan Quinn
Nicknames
  • The Burgundy and Gold
  • The 'Skins (as the Redskins)
  • The Over-the-Hill Gang (1970s)
  • The Fun Bunch (1980s receiving group)
  • The Hogs (1980s offensive line)
Team history
  • Boston Braves (1932)
  • Boston Redskins (1933–1936)
  • Washington Redskins (1937–2019)
  • Washington Football Team (2020–2021)
  • Washington Commanders (2022–present)
Home fields
League / conference affiliations
National Football League (1932–present)
  • Eastern Division (1933–1949)
  • American Conference (1950–1952)
  • Eastern Conference (1953–1969)
    • Capitol Division (1967–1969)
  • National Football Conference (1970–present)
Championships
League championships: 5
Conference championships: 5
  • NFC: 1972, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991
Division championships: 15
  • NFL Eastern: 1936, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945
  • NFC East: 1972, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1999, 2012, 2015, 2020
Playoff appearances (26)
  • 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, 2024
Owner(s)
  • George Preston Marshall (1932–1965)
  • Edward Bennett Williams (1965–1979)
  • Jack Kent Cooke (1979–1997)
  • John Kent Cooke (1997–1999)
  • Daniel Snyder (1999–2023)
  • Josh Harris (2023–present)

The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. Formerly known as the Washington Redskins, the franchise was founded by George Preston Marshall as the Boston Braves in 1932. They became the Redskins in 1933 and moved to Washington, D.C., in 1937. The Redskins name and logo drew criticism for decades before they were retired in 2020 as part of a wave of name changes during a period of racial unrest in the United States. The team played as the Washington Football Team for two seasons before rebranding as the Commanders in 2022.

The Commanders play their home games at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, with its headquarters and training facility located in Ashburn, Virginia. The Commanders have played more than 1,300 games and have won more than 600. Washington was among the first NFL franchises with an original fight song, "Hail to the Commanders", which has been played by their marching band after home game touchdowns since 1937. The franchise won NFL championships in 1937 and 1942 and Super Bowls XVII (1982), XXII (1987), and XXVI (1991). The Commanders have finished a season as league runner-up six times, losing the 1936, 1940, 1943, and 1945 title games and Super Bowls VII (1972) and XVIII (1983). Washington has 14 division titles and 26 total playoff appearances.

All of Washington's championships were attained during two 10-year spans. From 1936 to 1945, the team went to the NFL Championship six times, winning two of them under general manager Jack Espey and head coach Ray Flaherty. The second period lasted from 1982 to 1991 when they won three of the four Super Bowls they appeared in, under owner Jack Kent Cooke, general managers Bobby Beathard and Charley Casserly, and head coach Joe Gibbs. From 1946 to 1970, Washington posted just four winning seasons and never reached the playoffs. They went without a single winning season from 1956 to 1968, a span that included their worst regular season record: 1–12–1 in 1961. Another period following their last Super Bowl victory in 1991 saw only four NFC East division titles and three playoff wins until 2024.
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