243-694: The Washington Commanders are a professional American football franchise based in the Washington metropolitan area . They are members of the East division in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The Commanders were founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves, named after the local baseball franchise . The franchise changed its name the following year to
486-542: A 4–12 record. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett was fired at the end of the season. In 2015 , the Redskins hired Scot McCloughan to be their general manager, with Bruce Allen serving as team president. In October 2015, the Redskins had their largest comeback win in franchise history, coming back to win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31–30 after being down 0–24 in the second quarter. The Redskins clinched
729-489: A 7–9 record. The 1989 Redskins finished with a 10–6 record but missed the playoffs. The team is best remembered for "The Posse" — Art Monk , Gary Clark , and Ricky Sanders —the first trio of NFL wide receivers to post more than 1,000 yards apiece in a single season. Also, Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs achieved his 100th career victory in a week-14 win against the San Diego Chargers . The Redskins returned to
972-684: A conspiracy to violate antitrust law , by granting DirecTV exclusive rights to sell the Sunday Ticket product, thereby restricting competition and forcing viewers to pay super competitive prices to view out-of-market games. On June 27, 2024, a jury in Los Angeles found that the NFL had violated antitrust law in setting the price of the Sunday ticket package and ordered a penalty totaling more than $ 4.7 billion. With triple damages allowed under federal antitrust laws,
1215-545: A merger on June 8, 1966, to take full effect in 1970. In the meantime, the leagues would hold a common draft and championship game. The game, the Super Bowl , was held four times before the merger, with the NFL winning Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II , and the AFL winning Super Bowl III and Super Bowl IV . After the league merged, it was reorganized into two conferences: the National Football Conference (NFC), consisting of most of
1458-512: A 10-yard touchdown, off one of Cowboys' backup quarterback Gary Hogeboom 's passes which was tipped by Dexter Manley to score the decisive points. John Riggins rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries and the Redskins went on to defeat the Cowboys' by a score of 31–17. The Redskins' first Super Bowl win, and their first NFL Championship in 40 years, was in Super Bowl XVII , where
1701-552: A 12-year career, during which he became the Redskins' all-time leader in pass attempts and completions. The Redskins finished 3rd in the NFC East behind the Cowboys and missed the wild card to the Giants by virtue of tiebreakers . The 1986 offseason's major highlight occurred during the 1986 NFL draft , when the Redskins picked up future Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien in the sixth round, also
1944-491: A 14-point lead and lost to the New York Giants 24–21. That same year, Bill McPeak became the head coach and had a record of 21–46–3 over five seasons. During his tenure, he helped draft future stars: wide receiver Charley Taylor , tight end Jerry Smith , safety Paul Krause , center Len Hauss , and linebacker Chris Hanburger . He also helped pull off two important trades, gaining quarterback Sonny Jurgensen from
2187-540: A 15-yard touchdown pass and Washington had a 10–3 lead at halftime. In the fourth quarter, Kilmer again went to Taylor, this time for a 45-yard touchdown. Knight added three more field goals that period and The Over-The-Hill-Gang defense allowed only a second-quarter field goal. The final score was Washington 26, Dallas 3. After defeating the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC Championship, the Redskins went on to lose to
2430-514: A 39-yard (36 m) touchdown pass to Moss on a fourth-down play. Then, with 2:44 left, Brunell connected with Moss again on a 70-yard (64 m) touchdown pass and Nick Novak kicked the game-winning extra point. It was the Redskins' first victory at Texas Stadium since 1995 . They then fell into a slump, losing six of the next eight games which included three straight losses in November, and their playoff chances looked bleak. On December 18, 2005,
2673-423: A 5% stake in ownership and full control over football operations as the team's executive vice president. Lombardi coached the Redskins to a 7–5–2 record, their first winning season since 1955 , but died from cancer shortly before the start of the 1970 season . Bill Austin , appointed earlier by Lombardi, served as interim head coach for the season. The same year, Larry Brown became the first Redskins player to win
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#17328513677352916-440: A 7–5–2 record, their first winning season since 1955 , but died from cancer shortly before the start of the 1970 season . Bill Austin , appointed earlier by Lombardi, served as interim head coach for the season. On January 6, 1971, Williams hired former Los Angeles Rams head coach George Allen as head coach and general manager. Partial to seasoned veterans instead of highly touted young players, Allen's teams became known as
3159-482: A back out of UCLA . However, Rossi was a junior, and at that time ineligible to be drafted. After waiting a year, the Redskins drafted Rossi again in the first-round of the 1947 NFL draft , but he never had the intention to play football professionally. After the end of Edwards' coaching career, the Redskins hired three different head coaches during the next three seasons: John Whelchel , Herman Ball , and former player Dick Todd , but none were successful. "Jurgensen
3402-608: A blizzard; in 2012, when the Kickoff game was moved from Thursday to Wednesday to avoid conflict with the Democratic National Convention ; and in 2020, when a game was postponed from Sunday to Tuesday due to players testing positive for COVID-19 . NFL regular season match-ups are determined according to a scheduling formula. Within a division, all four teams play 14 out of their 17 games against common opponents or each other– two games (home and away) are played against
3645-478: A club's franchise or any other action, he deems necessary. The commissioner can also issue sanctions up to and including a lifetime ban from the league if an individual connected to the NFL has bet on games or failed to notify the league of conspiracies or plans to bet on or fix games. The current Commissioner of the National Football League is Roger Goodell, who was elected in 2006 after Paul Tagliabue ,
3888-407: A club's season being canceled, a restocking draft would be held. Neither of these protocols has ever had to be implemented. Free agents in the National Football League are divided into restricted free agents , who have three accrued seasons and whose current contract has expired, and unrestricted free agents , who have four or more accrued seasons and whose contract has expired. An accrued season
4131-479: A completion percentage of .703. They ended the season by losing to the Cleveland Rams 15–14 in the 1945 NFL Championship Game on December 16, 1945. The one-point margin of victory came under scrutiny because of a safety early in the game. In the first quarter, the Redskins had the ball at their own 5-yard (4.6 m) line. Dropping back into the end zone , quarterback Sammy Baugh threw to an open receiver, but
4374-494: A contract that paved the way for the immediate start of construction for the new home of the Redskins (now Northwest Stadium). The 1996 season saw Washington post their first winning record in 4 years by finishing 9–7 . On December 22, 1996, the Redskins played their final game at RFK Stadium , a victory over the Dallas Cowboys 37–10, and finished their tenure at the stadium with a 173–102–3 record, including 11–1 in
4617-515: A contract with the Redskins. "Why Negroes particularly? Why not make us hire a player from any other race? Of course we have had players who played like girls, but never an actual girl player." Marshall 's rebuttal in response to the ultimatum from the Kennedy administration In 1961, the Redskins drafted their first African-American player and first black Heisman Trophy winner, RB Ernie Davis . However, in mid-December, Marshall (who once
4860-521: A crowd chanted "We Want Dallas!", which later became a rallying cry of sorts for Redskin fans before games against the Cowboys. In the NFC Championship Game against them at RFK Stadium , Redskins defensive end Dexter Manley knocked Cowboys' quarterback Danny White out for the rest of the game and sent him into the locker room shortly before halftime. Later in the game, Redskins defensive tackle Darryl Grant 's interception, which he returned for
5103-594: A different football code than the American game, the CFL established a niche market in Canada and still survives as an independent league. A new professional league, the fourth American Football League (AFL), began to play in 1960. The upstart AFL began to challenge the established NFL in popularity, gaining lucrative television contracts and engaging in a bidding war with the NFL for free agents and draft picks. The two leagues announced
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#17328513677355346-510: A down in professional football. The Redskins ended the 1962 season with their best record in five years: 5–7–2 . Mitchell led the league with 11 touchdowns, and caught 72 passes and was selected to the Pro Bowl . In time, Mitchell would be joined by other black players like receiver Charley Taylor , running back Larry Brown , defensive back Brig Owens , and guard John Nisby . Marshall appointed board member Edward Bennett Williams to run
5589-470: A forward pass that struck the goalpost was automatically ruled incomplete. This later became known as the "Baugh/Marshall Rule". The Redskins had four different head coaches from 1946 to 1951, including former players Turk Edwards and Dick Todd as well as John Whelchel and Herman Ball . But this did not stop Marshall from trying to make the Redskins the most successful franchise in the league. His first major alteration happened on June 14, 1950, when it
5832-487: A game against the Giants. After calling the coin toss and shaking hands with the opposing team captain, Turk Edwards attempted to pivot around to head back to his sideline. However, his cleats caught in the grass and his knee gave way, injuring him and bringing his season and career to an unusual end. "With that big Yankee playing end, please accept my resignation if we do not win the championship this year!." Head coach Ray Flaherty to George Preston Marshall , on
6075-454: A game. Dietz was fired after posting a 6–6 record in 1934 , and Eddie Casey was hired as his replacement. During the 1935 season , the Redskins split their first two games before going into a season-long scoring slump, posting only 23 points during a seven-game losing streak. The Redskins posted a win and a tie in their final two games, finishing with a 2–8–1 record, scoring only 65 points on
6318-452: A lower pick than any team that did not make the divisional round. The Super Bowl champion always drafts last, and the losing team from the Super Bowl always drafts next-to-last. All potential draftees must be at least three years removed from high school in order to be eligible for the draft. Underclassmen that have met that criterion to be eligible for the draft must write an application to
6561-419: A minority of preseason games are distributed among the league's national television partners. Through the 2014 season, the NFL had a blackout policy in which games were 'blacked out' on local television in the home team's area if the home stadium was not sold out. Clubs could elect to set this requirement at only 85%, but they would have to give more ticket revenue to the visiting team; teams could also request
6804-702: A number of awards for its players and coaches at its annual NFL Honors presentation. The most prestigious award is the AP Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Other major awards include the AP Offensive Player of the Year , AP Defensive Player of the Year , AP Comeback Player of the Year , and the AP Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards. Another prestigious award is the Walter Payton Man of
7047-524: A playoff bid, the number of wild card teams from each conference dropped from three to two. The playoffs expanded again in 2020, adding two more wild card teams to bring the total to 14 playoff teams. The NFL consists of 32 clubs divided into two conferences of 16 teams each. Each conference is divided into four divisions of four clubs each. During the regular season, each team is allowed a maximum of 55 players on its roster; only 48 of these may be active (eligible to play) on game days. Each team can also have
7290-552: 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. The team plays its home games at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland ; its headquarters and training facility are in Ashburn, Virginia . The Commanders have played more than 1,300 games and have won more than 600. Washington
7533-695: A record 167 million people that watched Super Bowl XLVIII , the conclusion to the 2013 season. In addition to radio networks run by each NFL team, select NFL games are broadcast nationally by Westwood One (known as Dial Global for the 2012 season). These games are broadcast on over 500 networks, giving all NFL markets access to each primetime game. The NFL's deal with Westwood One was extended in 2012 and continued through 2017. Other NFL games are nationally distributed by Compass Media Networks and Sports USA Radio Network under contracts with individual teams. Some broadcasting innovations have either been introduced or popularized during NFL telecasts. Among them,
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7776-503: A record of 7–5, attaining both their first winning record and their first Eastern Division Championship. However, during the final game of the regular season, a 30–0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates , only 4,813 fans showed up to Fenway Park. An angry Marshall then decided to give up home field advantage for the 1936 NFL Championship Game . The game was then played on December 13, 1936, at New York's Polo Grounds , where they lost to
8019-583: A record that can only be tied, not broken. The Redskins won nine games in 1940 and finished on top of the Eastern Division. They met the Bears again in the 1940 NFL Championship Game on December 8, 1940, in Washington, D.C. The Redskins were annihilated by the Bears 73–0 for the most lopsided score in NFL history. The other big loss for the Redskins that season occurred during a coin-tossing ceremony prior to
8262-577: A segregated team from playing at the new District of Columbia stadium, as it was owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior and thus federal government property, the Redskins became the final pro football franchise to integrate, in 1962 , in their second season in the stadium. First, the team drafted Ernie Davis , the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy . Two days before, the Buffalo Bills of
8505-542: A simulcast with ESPN. Amazon , through their Prime Video streaming service, is the exclusive carrier of the Thursday Night Football package. NFL Network, a U.S. pay cable channel owned by the league itself, broadcasts select games under the NFL Network Exclusive Game Series banner. Games under this banner usually consist of NFL International Series games and select Saturday games. In 2023,
8748-480: A single season with 1,483 yards (1,356 m), breaking Bobby Mitchell 's previous record set in 1963 . Also, Chris Cooley 's 71 receptions broke Jerry Smith 's season record for a Redskins tight end. In the first round of the playoffs , the Redskins met the Buccaneers . The Redskins won 17–10, after taking an early 14–0 lead, which they thought they lost until replay showed that a touchdown, which would have tied
8991-454: A single season. Garcon had 113 catches total, which broke Monk's 106 catches in 1984 by seven. The Redskins fired Shanahan and most of his staff after the season. On January 9, 2014 , the Redskins hired Jay Gruden as their head coach. Gruden became the eighth head coach of the team since Daniel Snyder purchased the franchise in 1999. The Redskins struggled throughout the season, having three different quarterbacks start games, amounting to
9234-405: A sixteen-player practice squad separate from its main roster. Each NFL club is granted a franchise, the league's authorization for the team to operate in its home city. This franchise covers 'Home Territory' (the 75 miles surrounding the city limits, or, if the team is within 100 miles of another league city, half the distance between the two cities) and 'Home Marketing Area' (Home Territory plus
9477-546: A specific exemption from the NFL for the game. The vast majority of NFL games were not blacked out; only 6% of games were blacked out during the 2011 season , and only two games were blacked out in 2013 and none in 2014 . The NFL announced in March 2015 that it would suspend its blackout policy for at least the 2015 season . According to Nielsen , the NFL regular season since 2012 was watched by at least 200 million individuals, accounting for 80% of all television households in
9720-593: A surprise attack against the United States ' naval base at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii by the Japanese Navy that resulted in the death of over 2,400 Americans and brought the United States into World War II. On a more personal note for the Redskins, this act ultimately drove two of the most popular Redskins players, Frankie Filchock and Wayne Millner , to enlist in the U.S. Navy . In what became an early NFL rivalry,
9963-471: A team that finishes last would play two other last-place teams in the conference. The final game is an inter-conference based on a rotating cycle and determined by previous season's standings. In total, each team plays 17 games and has one bye week, where it does not play a game. Although a team's home and away opponents are known by the end of the previous year's regular season, the exact dates and times for NFL games are not determined until much later because
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10206-456: A then franchise record 316 passes and threw for more than 4,000 yards in regular play that season. They then defeated the Detroit Lions in the first round of the playoffs , but lost to the Buccaneers , 14–13. The 2000 season started with the selection of future Pro Bowler Chris Samuels and the tumultuous LaVar Arrington in the 2000 NFL draft and included five consecutive wins in
10449-547: A total of 32 are given. Clubs are required to make their selection within a certain period of time, the exact time depending on which round the pick is made in. If they fail to do so on time, the clubs behind them can begin to select their players in order, but they do not lose the pick outright. This happened in the 2003 draft , when the Minnesota Vikings failed to make their selection on time. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers were able to make their picks before
10692-494: A two-conference system from 1933 to 1966 , where the champions of each conference would meet in the NFL Championship Game . If two teams tied for the conference lead, they would meet in a one-game playoff to determine the conference champion. In 1967 , the NFL expanded from 15 teams to 16 teams. Instead of just evening out the conferences by adding the expansion New Orleans Saints to the seven-member Western Conference,
10935-554: A wide receiver in Washington) and 1962 first-round draft choice Leroy Jackson . The move was made under unfortunate circumstances – as it turned out that Davis had leukemia , and died without ever playing a down in professional football. "The integration success story of the Kennedy administration, didn't take place in Mississippi but here in the backyard of the nation's capital." Boston Globe columnist Wilfrid Rodgers, on
11178-551: Is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and the highest professional level of American football in the world. Each NFL season begins annually with a three-week preseason in August, followed by
11421-402: Is a great quarterback. He hangs in there under adverse conditions. He may be the best the league has ever seen. He is the best I have seen." Vince Lombardi , on quarterback Sonny Jurgensen Nevertheless, this did not stop George Preston Marshall from trying to make the Redskins the most successful franchise in the league. His first major innovation occurred on June 14, 1950, when it
11664-425: Is currently experiencing its second period of failure, which began in 1993 and continued through the entire franchise ownership of Daniel Snyder . Since 1993, they have posted only eight winning seasons and six postseason appearances. The city of Boston was awarded an NFL franchise on July 9, 1932, under the ownership of George Preston Marshall , Vincent Bendix , Jay O'Brien, and Dorland Doyle. The team took
11907-427: Is defined as "six or more regular-season games on a club's active/inactive, reserved/injured or reserve/physically unable to perform lists". Restricted free agents are allowed to negotiate with other clubs besides their former club, but the former club has the right to match any offer. If they choose not to, they are compensated with draft picks. Unrestricted free agents are free to sign with any club, and no compensation
12150-448: Is earned by the 32 clubs and is taxable there. This will remain the case even when the league office and Management Council file returns as taxable entities, and the change in filing status will make no material difference to our business." As a result, the league office might owe around US$ 10 million in income taxes, but it is no longer required to disclose the salaries of its executive officers. The league has three defined officers:
12393-543: Is elected by an affirmative vote of three-fourths or 10 of the conference members. The commissioner appoints the secretary and treasurer and has broad authority in disputes between clubs, players, coaches, and employees. He is the "principal executive officer " of the NFL and also has authority in hiring league employees, negotiating television contracts, disciplining individuals that own part or all of an NFL team, clubs, or employed individuals of an NFL club if they have violated league by-laws or committed "conduct detrimental to
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#173285136773512636-602: Is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan . The Green Bay Packers hold the most combined NFL championships with thirteen, winning nine titles before the Super Bowl era and four Super Bowls afterwards. Since the creation of the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the most Super Bowl victories at six each. The reigning league champions are the Kansas City Chiefs , who defeated
12879-463: Is owed if they sign with a different club. Clubs are given one franchise tag to offer to any unrestricted free agent. The franchise tag is a one-year deal that pays the player 120% of his previous contract or no less than the average of the five highest-paid players at his position, whichever is greater. There are two types of franchise tags: exclusive tags, which do not allow the player to negotiate with other clubs, and non-exclusive tags, which allow
13122-474: Is required to schedule three preseason games. NFC teams must play at least two of these at home in odd numbered years and AFC teams must play at least two at home in even numbered years. However, the teams involved in the Hall of Fame game, as well as any team that played in an American Bowl game, play four preseason games. Preseason games are exhibition matches and do not count towards regular-season totals. Because
13365-414: The 18-week regular season , which runs from early September to early January, with each team playing 17 games and having one bye week . Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference, including four division winners and three wild card teams, advance to the playoffs , a single-elimination tournament , which culminates in the Super Bowl , played in early February between
13608-457: The 1938 NFL draft and the selection of Andy Farkas . The Redskins then went 6–3–2, which was good enough for second place in the division. On October 15, 1939, the Redskins achieved an NFL first when Frank Filchock threw the first 99-yard (91 m) touchdown pass in NFL history, to Andy Farkas, in a game against his old team, the Pirates . This set a record for the longest play from scrimmage,
13851-492: The 1981 season 0–5 , the Redskins won eight out of their next 11 games and finished the season 8–8 but fourth in the NFC East. Starting on September 21, 1982, the NFL faced a 57-day long players' strike , which reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule to a nine-game schedule. Because of the shortened season, the NFL adopted a special 16-team playoff tournament, in which eight teams from each conference were seeded 1–8 based on their regular season records. After
14094-535: The 1983 and 1991 seasons when the team won 14 games, the most the team has won in a single season. Washington has also experienced periods of extended failure in its history. The most notable period of continued failure was from 1946 to 1970 , when they posted only four winning seasons and did not have a single postseason appearance. During this period, they went without a single winning season between 1956 and 1968 and posted their worst regular-season record in franchise history, going 1–12–1 in 1961 . Washington
14337-519: The 1983 NFL season . Cornerback Darrell Green and defensive end Charles Mann were selected in the 1983 NFL draft and became key contributors for the team; Green would play his entire 20-year career with the Redskins. On October 1, 1983, the Redskins lost to the Green Bay Packers 48–47 in the highest-scoring Monday night football game in history , in which both teams combine for more than 1,000 yards (910 m) of total offense. Then during
14580-476: The 2004 season , Snyder hired former coach Joe Gibbs to return as head coach and team president. Gibbs' return to the franchise did not pay instant dividends as the Redskins finished the 2004 season with a record of 6–10 . Despite an impressive defense, the team struggled offensively. Quarterback Mark Brunell —an off-season acquisition from the Jacksonville Jaguars —struggled in his first season, and
14823-478: The 2006 NFL draft . After winning only three of the first nine games, Gibbs benched quarterback Brunell for former first-round draft pick Jason Campbell . After losing his first game as a starter to Tampa Bay , Campbell got his first NFL victory against the Carolina Panthers , bringing the Redskins out of a three-game losing streak. The highlight of the season happened on November 5, and concluded with one of
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#173285136773515066-410: The 2007 season by "winning ugly" starting the season off 2–0. The Redskins kept winning and losing close games, the only exception to this a 34–3 rout of the Detroit Lions . The Redskins continued to win ugly and lose ugly to be 5–3 at the halfway mark. However, the Redskins would begin to collapse. The team lost their next three games to fall to 5–6. On Monday, November 26, Redskins safety Sean Taylor
15309-477: The 2011 New Orleans Saints for the most in a single season in NFL history. Despite the numerous records set, the Redskins missed the playoffs, losing 19–10 in a "win and in" situation against the New York Giants in the final week of the season. However, the Redskins still finished the season with a record of 8–7–1 , giving the team their first consecutive winning seasons in nearly 20 years. In contrast with
15552-499: The 2018 offseason, the Redskins traded for quarterback Alex Smith to replace Kirk Cousins as he left for the Minnesota Vikings in free agency. Despite early success starting the season 6–3, their best start since 2008 , the team finished the season 1–6 due to injuries. In a game against the Houston Texans on November 18, 2018, Smith suffered a compound and spiral fracture to his tibia and fibula in his right leg when he
15795-490: The AFL and NFL merged in 1970 , Washington won two NFL Championships ( 1937 and 1942 ). They also played in and lost the 1936 , 1940 , 1943 , and 1945 Championship games. Only five teams have appeared in more Super Bowls than Washington: the New England Patriots (11), Dallas Cowboys (eight), Pittsburgh Steelers (eight), Denver Broncos (eight), and San Francisco 49ers (eight); Washington's five appearances are tied with
16038-467: The American Football League had also drafted Davis and there was some doubt as to whether Marshall would offer enough money to sign him. For their second pick in the draft, the Redskins chose another black halfback, Joe Hernandez from Arizona . They also took black fullback Ron Hatcher in the eighth round, a player from Michigan State who became the first black football player to sign
16281-594: The Brooklyn Dodgers , to whom they lost 14–0. The next week, the Braves recorded their first win, beating the New York Giants 14–6. The new franchise's losses during the first season reached $ 46,000 ($ 1,052,789 in 2024) and Bendix, O'Brien, and Doyle dropped out of the investment, leaving Marshall the sole owner of the Braves. The team moved to Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox ) the next year, and Marshall changed
16524-625: The Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup , was donated to the NFL (then APFA) in 1920 by the Brunswick-Balke Collender Corporation . The trophy, the appearance of which is only known by its description as a "silver loving cup", was intended to be a traveling trophy and not to become permanent until a team had won at least three titles. The league awarded it to the Akron Pros, champions of the inaugural 1920 season; however,
16767-549: The Canton Evening Repository , intended to "raise the standard of professional football in every way possible, to eliminate bidding for players between rival clubs and to secure cooperation in the formation of schedules". A second meeting was held on September 17, 1920, with representatives from teams within four states: Akron, Canton, Cleveland, and Dayton from Ohio; the Hammond Pros and Muncie Flyers from Indiana;
17010-910: The Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders , behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots (six each), San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys (five each), and Green Bay Packers , New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs (four each). 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 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
17253-468: The Denver Broncos in the 2019 offseason, and drafted Dwayne Haskins from Ohio State in the 2019 NFL draft . With a league worst 0–5 start to the season, tying with the Cincinnati Bengals , and their worst start since 2001 , the Redskins fired Gruden on October 7, 2019, with offensive line coach Bill Callahan serving as the interim head coach for the rest of the season. Gruden finished as
17496-501: The Green Bay Packers , Las Vegas Raiders , Los Angeles Rams , Miami Dolphins , and New York Giants . All of the franchise's championships were attained during two 10-year spans. The first period of success was from 1936 to 1945 , when they went to the NFL Championship six times, winning two of them. The second period of success was from 1982 and 1991 , when they appeared in the postseason seven times, captured four Conference titles, and won three Super Bowls. This period included
17739-529: The Green Bay Packers , 21–6. "I moved my team to Washington because the Boston papers gave girls' field hockey more coverage than the Redskins," Marshall said in 1953. Before leaving Massachusetts, however, the Redskins made one more big addition that helped their franchise for years to come. The addition came after the 1937 NFL draft on December 12, 1936, when they signed an innovative rookie quarterback from Texas Christian University : Sammy Baugh . In an era where
17982-463: The Houston Texans began play as an expansion team . Other drafts held by the league include an allocation draft in 1950 to allocate players from several teams that played in the dissolved All-America Football Conference and a supplemental draft in 1984 to give NFL teams the rights to players who had been eligible for the main draft but had not been drafted because they had signed contracts with
18225-496: The Internal Revenue Code provides an exemption from federal income taxation for "Business leagues, chambers of commerce, real-estate boards, boards of trade, or professional football leagues (whether or not administering a pension fund for football players), not organized for profit and no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual." In contrast, each individual team, with
18468-792: The Los Angeles Rams who came from a 1936 iteration of the American Football League, and the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers , both from the AAFC. By the 1950s, the NFL had an effective monopoly on professional football in the United States; its only competition in North America was the professional Canadian football circuit, which formally became the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1958. With Canadian football being
18711-750: The NFC Championship Game , defeating Dallas 26–3, only to lose to the undefeated Miami Dolphins 14–7 in Super Bowl VII . The Redskins posted a 10–4 record in 1973 , which made them tied with the Dallas Cowboys atop the NFC East . However, Dallas won the division crown based on better point differential with a net 13 points, which forced the Redskins to play in the Divisional playoffs at Minnesota one week later, where Washington lost 27–20. Washington Commanders The Washington Commanders are
18954-460: The New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX . This game is also noted for Super Bowl MVP quarterback Doug Williams , who threw four touchdowns in the second quarter en route to becoming the first black quarterback to lead his team to a championship, and for rookie running back Timmy Smith , who ran for a Super Bowl-record 204 yards (187 m). In 1988 , the team missed the playoffs with
19197-720: The Over-the-Hill Gang . That season , the Redskins made the playoffs for the first time since 1945 with a 9–4–1 mark with Redskins first-year head coach George Allen winning the 1971 NFL Coach of the Year Award , the second of his career, winning his first Coach of the Year Award in 1967 as the head coach of the Rams . However, they lost in the Divisional Playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers , 24–20. The following season ,
19440-491: The Philadelphia Eagles and linebacker Sam Huff from the New York Giants . In 1966 , Otto Graham was hired as the new head coach. Graham coached the Redskins for three seasons for a record of 17–22–3 . He resigned after the 1968 season , with the team hiring former Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi for the same role. During most of this unsuccessful period, Marshall continually refused to integrate
19683-467: The Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, but were eliminated from playoff contention. The team's fortunes continued to slide in 2009 , as they finished 4–12 . Zorn was fired and replaced by Mike Shanahan after the season. On April 4, the Redskins acquired quarterback Donovan McNabb in a trade from the rival Philadelphia Eagles . However, the Redskins struggled to a 6–10 finish, once again 4th place in
19926-651: The Raiders beat the Redskins 38–9 in Super Bowl XVIII . The Redskins finished the 1984 season with an 11–5 record, and won the NFC East for the third consecutive season. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Chicago Bears , 23–19. On November 18, 1985, while playing against the Giants , Theismann broke his leg during a sack by Lawrence Taylor . The compound fracture forced him to retire after
20169-432: The Redskins finished with a record of 4–12 . Petitbon was fired at the end of the season and on February 2, 1994, Norv Turner was hired as head coach after being the offensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys . 1994 was even worse as they finished 3–13 , their worst season in over 30 years. Their sole bright spot that year came on October 9, 1994, linebacker Monte Coleman played in his 206th career game with
20412-563: The Redskins hosted their first postseason game in Washington since 1942, where they beat the Green Bay Packers 16–3 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs . The Redskins reached the NFC Championship Game , and in a much-anticipated match-up against the archrival Dallas Cowboys , The Redskins placekicker Curt Knight kicked an 18-yard field goal in the second quarter to get the scoring underway, then Redskins quarterback Billy Kilmer connected with Redskins wide receiver Charley Taylor on
20655-399: The Redskins to their first winning season in ten years and was named both Sporting News Coach of the Year and UPI NFL Coach of the Year . In 1961 , the Redskins moved into their new stadium called D.C. Stadium, later renamed Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969. The first game in new D.C. Stadium occurred on October 1 in front of 37,767 fans. However, the Redskins failed to hold
20898-455: The Redskins went 8–2 during the 1945 season . One of the most impressive performances came from Baugh, who had a completion percentage of .703. They ended the season by losing to the Cleveland Rams in the 1945 NFL Championship Game , 15–14. The one-point margin of victory came under scrutiny because of a safety that occurred early in the game. In the first quarter, the Redskins had
21141-686: The Rochester Jeffersons from New York; and the Rock Island Independents , Decatur Staleys , and Racine (Chicago) Cardinals from Illinois. The league was renamed to the American Professional Football Association (APFA) . The league elected Jim Thorpe as its first president, and consisted of 14 teams (the Buffalo All-Americans , Chicago Tigers , Columbus Panhandles and Detroit Heralds joined
21384-690: The San Francisco 49ers by a score of 25–22 in Super Bowl LVIII . On August 20, 1920, a meeting was held by representatives of the Akron Pros , Canton Bulldogs , Cleveland Indians , and Dayton Triangles at the Jordan and Hupmobile auto showroom in Canton, Ohio . This meeting resulted in the formation of the American Professional Football Conference (APFC), a group who, according to
21627-665: The Skycam camera system was used for the first time in a live telecast, at a 1984 preseason NFL game in San Diego between the Chargers and 49ers , and televised by CBS. Commentator John Madden famously used a telestrator during games between the early 1980s to the mid-2000s, boosting the device's popularity. Each April (excluding 2014 when it took place in May), the NFL holds a draft of college players. The draft consists of seven rounds, with each of
21870-557: The St. Louis Rams in order to take Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III second overall in the 2012 NFL draft . Although the need for a franchise quarterback was obvious, many journalists had doubts about the value of giving up a lot for a single player. In the opening game of the season, Griffin threw for 320 yards and two touchdown passes in a 40–32 victory over the New Orleans Saints to give
22113-455: The Super Bowl MVP award. After the Super Bowl, the Redskins set another franchise record by sending eight players to the Pro Bowl . The 1991 Washington Redskins are widely considered one of the best teams in NFL history. In 1992 , the Redskins reached the playoffs as a wild-card team, but lost in the Divisional playoffs to the 49ers , 20–13. On October 12, 1992, Art Monk became
22356-515: The Super Bowl MVP . After the 1982 season Redskins placekicker Mark Moseley was the first and only placekicker in NFL history to be named the NFL's Most Valuable Player ; Moseley made 20 of 21 field goals attempted in 1982. Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs also won his first NFL Coach of the Year Award in 1982 which was the first of his back-to-back NFL Coach of the Year Awards, his second coming in
22599-523: The United States Football League or Canadian Football League . Like the other major sports leagues in the United States , the NFL maintains protocol for a disaster draft . In the event of a 'near disaster' (less than 15 players killed or disabled) that caused the club to lose a quarterback, they could draft one from a team with at least three quarterbacks. In the event of a 'disaster' (15 or more players killed or disabled) that results in
22842-577: The Washington Football Team for two seasons before rebranding as the Commanders in 2022. Washington won the 1937 and 1942 NFL championship games and Super Bowls XVII , XXII , and XXVI . Washington has finished a season as league runner-up six times, losing the 1936 , 1940 , 1943 , and 1945 title games and Super Bowls VII and XVIII . Washington has 24 postseason appearances and 14 division titles, with three Super Bowl wins tied with
23085-456: The forward pass was relatively rare, the Redskins used it as their primary method of gaining yards. "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh also played numerous other positions, including cornerback and punter . After the disappointing 1936 NFL title game, George Preston Marshall had the team moved to his home in Washington, D.C. , on February 13, 1937, retaining the name "Redskins" although it was now out of context. They then shared Griffith Stadium with
23328-446: The highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States. The Super Bowl is also among the most-watched sporting events in the world, with the individual games accounting for many of the most watched television programs in American history and all occupying the top five of Nielsen 's all-time most-watched U.S. television broadcasts by 2015. The NFL
23571-514: The playoffs in 1990 as a Wild Card team, but lost in the Divisional round to the 49ers . The 1991 season started with a franchise-record 11 straight wins. " The Hogs ", under the coaching of Redskins offensive line coach Joe Bugel , allowed a franchise-record nine sacks, the third-lowest total in NFL history. The offense also dominated under head football coach Joe Gibbs , scoring 485 points, more than any other team that year . The defense
23814-483: The undefeated Miami Dolphins 14–7 in Super Bowl VII . Redskins running back Larry Brown would be named the 1972 NFL MVP . The Redskins again made the playoffs in 1973 , 1974 , and 1976 , only to lose all three times in the first round. After the team failed to make the playoffs in Redskins despite a 9–5 record, Allen was fired and was replaced at head coach by Jack Pardee . Canadian-American businessman Jack Kent Cooke , who had owned minority shares of
24057-615: The 1962 season with their best record in five years: 5–7–2. Mitchell led the league with eleven touchdowns, caught 72 passes and was selected to the Pro Bowl . He was eventually elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and became assistant general manager of the Redskins. Nisby had three successful seasons with the team and then was released. 1963 saw the Redskins fall to 3–11, with Norm Snead throwing 27 interceptions, then 1964 and 1965 saw two consecutive 6–8 seasons after which Bill McPeak
24300-411: The 1983 NFL's Most Valuable Player finishing the season with a career-high in both yards passing 3,714 yds., and touchdown passes thrown, 29 Td's while throwing only 11 interceptions. In the postseason, the Redskins beat the Los Angeles Rams 51–7. The next week, Washington beat the San Francisco 49ers 24–21 in the NFC Championship Game . It was their final win of the season because two weeks later,
24543-477: The 2006 off-season was the hiring of Kansas City Chiefs ' offensive coordinator Al Saunders as offensive coordinator . Gibbs also added former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jerry Gray to his staff as secondary/cornerbacks coach and lost quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave to the Falcons . The Redskins also picked up future starters Rocky McIntosh , Anthony Montgomery , Reed Doughty , and Kedric Golston in
24786-424: The 32 clubs getting one pick in each round. The draft order for non-playoff teams is determined by regular-season record; among playoff teams, teams are first ranked by the furthest round of the playoffs they reached, and then are ranked by regular-season record. For example, any team that reached the divisional round will be given a higher pick than any team that reached the conference championships, but will be given
25029-494: The AFC package, and Fox carries afternoon games from the NFC package. These afternoon games are not carried on all affiliates, as multiple games are being played at once; each network affiliate is assigned one game per time slot, according to a complicated set of rules. Since 2011, the league has reserved the right to give Sunday games that, under the contract, would normally air on one network to
25272-612: The APFA awarded the Akron Pros the championship by virtue of their 8–0–3 record. The first event occurred on September 26, 1920, when the Rock Island Independents defeated the non-league St. Paul Ideals 48–0 at Douglas Park . On October 3, 1920, the first full week of league play occurred. The following season resulted in the Chicago Staleys controversially winning the title over the Buffalo All-Americans. On June 24, 1922,
25515-523: The APFA changed its name to the National Football League (NFL). In 1932 , the season ended with the Chicago Bears ( 6–1–6 ) and the Portsmouth Spartans ( 6–1–4 ) tied for first in the league standings. At the time, teams were ranked on a single table and the team with the highest winning percentage (not including ties, which were not counted towards the standings) at the end of the season
25758-652: The Cowboys, which would clinch the division for and send the Redskins to the playoffs. The Redskins hosted the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round but lost 24–14. Hopes were high for a repeat division title in 2013 . However, these hopes were in vain, as poor play and controversy stirred during the entire year, leading to a 3–13 record. Even though most players had a down year compared to 2012, Pierre Garçon had his greatest season statistically yet. Garcon broke Art Monk 's 29-year-old franchise record for catches in
26001-450: The Giants. Shortly after, the team won their first league championship in 1937, defeating the Chicago Bears . In 1940 , the Redskins met the Bears again in the 1940 NFL Championship Game . The result, 73–0 in favor of the Bears, remains the worst one-sided loss in NFL history. The Redskins won their second championship in 1942 , defeating the Bears 14–6. In 1943 , Dutch Bergman
26244-549: The Green Bay Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowls. Unlike the previous trophies, a new Vince Lombardi Trophy is issued to each year's champion, who maintains permanent control of it. Lombardi Trophies are made by Tiffany & Co. out of sterling silver and are worth anywhere from US$ 25,000 to US$ 300,000. Additionally, each player on the winning team as well as coaches and personnel are awarded Super Bowl rings to commemorate their victory. The winning team chooses
26487-627: The Interior Stewart Udall , on Marshall 's refusal to integrate the Redskins On March 24, 1961, Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall warned Marshall to hire black players or face federal retribution. For the first time in history, the federal government had attempted to desegregate a professional sports team. Finally, under threat of civil rights legal action by the Kennedy administration , which would have prevented
26730-626: The Kennedy administration, which would have prevented a segregated team from playing at the new federally-owned D.C. Stadium , managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior . The Redskins' previous venue, Griffith Stadium , was owned by the Griffith family, owners of the Washington Senators , who moved and became the Minnesota Twins in 1961 . In 1962 , Washington became the final professional American football franchise to integrate. First,
26973-446: The NFC East division title on December 26, when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, 38–24. The division title was their third since Snyder took over ownership of the team, and was the first since the 1999 season to be clinched before Week 17. The Redskins hosted the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round on January 10, 2016, but lost 35–18, ending their 2015 season. Kirk Cousins , who took over as starting quarterback in
27216-603: The NFC receive the George Halas Trophy , named after Chicago Bears founder George Halas , who is also considered one of the co-founders of the NFL. The AFC champions receive the Lamar Hunt Trophy , named after Lamar Hunt , the founder of the Kansas City Chiefs and the principal founder of the American Football League. Players on the winning team also receive a conference championship ring. The NFL recognizes
27459-554: The NFL announced the NFL Source initiative, aimed at increasing the number of minority- and women-owned businesses that work with the league throughout the year. NFL Source will be mandatory for teams that host major events, such as the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft, and their organizing committees, but will be optional for other contracts at the team level. The NFL will partner with the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc to help local businesses across
27702-402: The NFL by January 15 renouncing their remaining college eligibility. Clubs can trade away picks for future draft picks, but cannot trade the rights to players they have selected in previous drafts. Aside from the seven picks each club gets, compensatory draft picks are given to teams that have lost more compensatory free agents than they have gained. These are spread out from rounds 3 to 7, and
27945-516: The NFL cannot hold games on those days until the Friday before the third Saturday in December. While Saturday games late in the season are common, the league rarely holds Friday games, the most recent one being on Christmas Day in 2020. NFL games are rarely scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday, and those days have only been used three times since 1948: in 2010, when a Sunday game was rescheduled to Tuesday due to
28188-455: The NFL could ultimately be liable for $ 14.39 billion. The league said it would ask the judge to set the verdict aside then appeal the verdict if needed. From 1920 to 1934, the NFL did not have a set number of games for teams to play, instead setting a minimum. The league mandated a twelve-game regular season for each team beginning in 1935 , later shortening this to eleven games in 1937 and ten games in 1943 , mainly due to World War II. After
28431-503: The NFL occupied the top three rates for a 30-second advertisement: $ 882,079 for Sunday Night Football , $ 562,524 for Monday Night Football , and $ 440,523 for Thursday Night Football . The league, in recent years, has expanded their televised broadcasts to over-the-top streaming services. Since 2022, Amazon holds the exclusive rights to broadcast the Thursday Night Football package. Prior to then, Amazon streamed games from
28674-587: The NFL realigned the conferences and split each into two four-team divisions. The four division champions would meet in the NFL playoffs , a two-round playoff. The NFL also operated the Playoff Bowl (officially the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl) from 1960 to 1969. Effectively, a third-place game , pitting the two conference runners-up against each other, the league considers Playoff Bowls to have been exhibitions rather than playoff games. The league discontinued
28917-606: The NFL rushing title after recording 1,125 yards (1,029 m). After the death of Lombardi and Austin's successful 1970 season, Williams signed former Los Angeles Rams head coach George Allen as head coach on January 6, 1971. Partial to seasoned veterans instead of highly touted young players, Allen's teams became known as the Over-the-Hill Gang . "The future is now" was his slogan, and his players soon proved him right. Allen and players Billy Kilmer , running back Larry Brown , center Len Hauss , receiver Charley Taylor , linebacker Chris Hanburger and safety Pat Fischer helped
29160-407: The NFL with the rival American Football League (AFL), the Super Bowl was first held in 1967 to determine a champion between the best teams from the two leagues and has remained as the final game of each NFL season since the merger was completed in 1970. The NFL is the wealthiest professional sports league in the world by revenue and the sports league with the most valuable teams. The NFL also has
29403-449: The NFL's all-time leading pass receiver by catching his 820th career reception against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football . The era ended on March 5, 1993, when Gibbs retired after 12 years of coaching with the Redskins. Gibbs later founded Joe Gibbs Racing . After the end of Gibbs' first tenure, the Redskins hired former Redskins player Richie Petitbon for the 1993 season . However, his first and only year as head coach,
29646-453: The New England city showed a lack of interest in the team. Through 1960 , the team shared baseball's Griffith Stadium with the first American League Washington Senators baseball team. In their first game in Washington, D.C., the Redskins defeated the New York Giants in the season opener, 13–3. The same season, they earned their first division title in Washington with a 49–14 win over
29889-479: The Playoff Bowl in 1970 due to its perception as a game for losers. Following the addition of the former AFL teams into the NFL in 1970 , the NFL split into two conferences with three divisions each. The expanded league, now with twenty-six teams, would also feature an expanded eight-team playoff, the participants being the three division champions from each conference as well as one 'wild card' team (the team with
30132-474: The Redskins and Bears met two more times in the NFL Championship. The second was during the 1942 NFL Championship Game on December 13, 1942, where the franchise won their second championship, 14–6, over the previously undefeated Bears . The final time the two met was the 1943 NFL Championship Game on December 26, 1943, during which the Bears won, 41–21. The most notable accomplishment achieved during
30375-568: The Redskins and been a board member since 1960, purchased majority interest from Edward Bennett Williams in 1974. Due to NFL rules at the time disallowing controlling ownership in other leagues, he allowed Williams to operate the team until selling his other properties, the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and the NHL's Los Angeles Kings , to Jerry Buss in May 1979. Cooke became the team's sole owner in 1985 after purchasing
30618-605: The Redskins and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1937 . In 2020 , the team retired the Redskins name after longstanding controversies surrounding it and briefly became the Washington Football Team, before choosing the Washington Commanders as their permanent name in 2022 . The franchise has won three Super Bowl championships ( Super Bowl XVII , Super Bowl XXII , and Super Bowl XXVI ). They also played in and lost Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl XVIII . Before
30861-415: The Redskins beat Cowboys, 35–7, which marked the first time since 1995 that the Redskins swept the season series with Dallas. The Redskins clinched their first playoff berth since 1999 . The game also culminated impressive season performances by individuals. Portis set a team mark for most rushing yards in a single season with 1,516 yards (1,386 m), and Moss set a team record for most receiving yards in
31104-448: The Redskins defeated the Cowboys 20–14 at FedExField. During his 20 seasons, he set an NFL record for consecutive seasons with at least one interception (19) and a Redskins team record for regular-season games played (295) and started (258). The Redskins finished the 2003 season with a 5–11 record, their worst since 1994 . After two mediocre years, Spurrier resigned after the 2003 season with three years left on his contract. For
31347-472: The Redskins defeated the Miami Dolphins 27–17. Riggins provided the game's signature play when, on 4th and inches, with the Redskins down 17–13, the coaches called "70 Chip", a play designed for short yardage. Riggins instead gained 43 yards (39 meters) by running through would-be tackler Don McNeal and getting the go-ahead touchdown. The Redskins ended up winning by a 27–17 score with John Riggins winning
31590-472: The Redskins defensive end Dexter Manley set a franchise single-season record when he recorded 18.5 sacks while earning All-Pro honors. In 1986 season , the Redskins making the postseason as a wild-card team despite having a regular-season record of 12–4 . They won the Wild Card playoff against the Rams, and then again in the Divisional playoffs against the Bears. This game was Gibbs's 70th career, which made him
31833-518: The Redskins loss in their exhibition opener to the Los Angeles Rams and hired Joe Kuharich . In 1955 , Kuharich led the Redskins to their first winning season in ten years and was named both Sporting News Coach of the Year and UPI NFL Coach of the Year . After Kuharich resigned as coach to accept the Notre Dame head coaching position, Marshall hired Mike Nixon before the 1959 season . Over
32076-538: The Redskins make the playoffs for the first time since 1945 with a 9–4–1 mark. However, they lost in the Divisional Playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers , 24–20. The 1972 season began with the Redskins winning their first two games but then suffering an agonizing 24–23 loss to the New England Patriots . After the loss, Allen re-inserted Sonny Jurgensen as the starter, but Jurgensen's season ended three weeks later when he tore an Achilles tendon. Kilmer returned and led
32319-433: The Redskins selected running back Ernie Davis of Syracuse first overall in the 1962 NFL draft ; Davis was the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy and the first to be the top selection in an NFL draft. Washington also took fullback Ron Hatcher of Michigan State in the eighth round , who became the first black player to sign a contract with the team. In December 1961, Marshall announced he had traded
32562-609: The Redskins the following year before moving to Washington, D.C. to become the Washington Redskins in 1937 . The usage of the term redskin was controversial for decades. In 2020 , pressure from several NFL and team sponsors led to its being retired as part of a wave of name changes in the wake of the George Floyd protests , which led to larger awareness of the Native American mascot controversy . The team played as
32805-519: The Redskins to a 6–2 mark over the final eight weeks and an 11–3 overall record that brought an NFC East title. The Redskins then hosted their first post-season game in Washington since 1942, where they beat the Green Bay Packers 16–3 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, as the shrewd Allen resorted to a five-man defensive front that handcuffed the Packers' powerful running game. The Redskins reached
33048-509: The Redskins went 10–6 , including a four-game winning streak early in the season, and made it to the playoffs for the first time in Norv Turner 's career (and the first time for the Redskins since 1992 ) in the final game of the season (on January 2, 2000, against the Dolphins ). Running back Stephen Davis rushed for a then franchise record 1,405 yards and quarterback Brad Johnson completed
33291-440: The Redskins would get an untimed down. Novak kicked a 47-yard (43 m) field goal, giving Washington a 22–19 victory. However, the Redskins finished the year with a 5–11 record, which resulted in them being last in the NFC East . This marked the second losing season of Joe Gibbs' second term as head coach with the Redskins, compared to the one losing season he had in his first 12-year tenure as head coach. The Redskins began
33534-433: The Redskins' 1943 season was Sammy Baugh leading the NFL in passing, punting, and interceptions. The Redskins played in the NFL Championship one more time before a quarter-century drought that did not end until the 1972 season . With former Olympic gold medalist Dudley DeGroot as their new head coach, the Redskins went 8–2 during the 1945 season . One of the most impressive performances came from Sammy Baugh, who had
33777-424: The Redskins, which broke Art Monk 's team record for games played (Coleman retired at season's end with 216 games played). They improved to 6–10 in 1995 where they were able to get a season sweep on the eventual Super Bowl XXX Champions the Dallas Cowboys. On March 13, 1996, Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke , Maryland Governor Parris Glendening , and Prince George's County Executive Wayne K. Curry signed
34020-407: The Top 50 most valuable sports teams in the world; and 16 of the NFL's owners are listed on the Forbes 400 , the most of any sports league or organization. At the corporate level, the National Football League considers itself a trade association made up of and financed by its 32 member teams. Up until 2015, the league was an unincorporated nonprofit 501(c)(6) association. Section 501(c)(6) of
34263-468: The United States and 69% of all potential viewers in the United States. NFL regular season games accounted for 31 out of the top 32 most-watched programs in the fall season and an NFL game ranked as the most-watched television show in all 17 weeks of the regular season. At the local level, NFL games were the highest-ranked shows in NFL markets 92% of the time. Super Bowls account for the 22 most-watched programs (based on total audience) in US history, including
34506-421: The Vikings were able to use theirs. Selected players are only allowed to negotiate contracts with the team that picked them, but if they choose not to sign they become eligible for the next year's draft. Under the current collective bargaining contract, all contracts to drafted players must be four-year deals with a club option for a fifth. Contracts themselves are limited to a certain amount of money, depending on
34749-411: The Washington Senators baseball team. Marshall sought to incorporate many elements of the college football atmosphere into Redskins games. At the time, the college game was far more popular than the NFL, which was still shaking off its barnstorming roots. On August 9, 1937, the Redskins marching band was founded. The all-volunteer ensemble formed when Marshall brought the Redskins to Washington, with
34992-710: The Year Award , which recognizes a player's off-field work in addition to his on-field performance. The NFL Coach of the Year award is the highest coaching award. The NFL also gives out weekly awards such as the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week and the Pepsi MAX NFL Rookie of the Week awards. In the United States, the National Football League is televised on eight networks across seven media partners: ESPN / ABC , CBS , Fox , NBC , Prime Video , Netflix , and NFL Network . The league offers its media rights in packages of games to prospective media partners. The packages can vary depending on conference, broadcast time slot, or both. CBS televises afternoon games from
35235-417: The acquisition of Wayne Millner Though the Redskins failed to make the 1941 NFL Championship Game with a record of 6–5, the 1941 season is still worth mentioning because of one game. The Redskins won their last game of the season by beating the Philadelphia Eagles , 20–14. However, few remember that day for the game, because it occurred on December 7, 1941, the same day as the Attack on Pearl Harbor ,
35478-410: The ball at their own 5-yard line. Dropping back into the end zone , quarterback Baugh threw to an open receiver, but the ball hit the goal post and bounced back to the ground in the end zone. Under the rules at the time, this was ruled as a safety and thus gave the Rams a 2–0 lead. Marshall was so upset at the outcome that he became a major force in passing a major rule change after the season, in which
35721-424: The ball hit the goal post (which at the time was on the goal line instead of at the back of the end zone) and bounced back to the ground in the end zone. Under the rules at the time, this was ruled as a safety and thus gave the Rams a 2–0 lead. It was that safety that proved to be the margin of victory. Owner Marshall was so mad at the outcome that he became a major force in passing the following major rule change after
35964-406: The beginning of his tenure to 17 million by the end of his tenure, and 400 million global viewers watched 1989's Super Bowl XXIII . The NFL established NFL Properties in 1963. The league's licensing wing, NFL Properties, earns the league billions of dollars annually; Rozelle's tenure also marked the creation of NFL Charities and a national partnership with United Way . Paul Tagliabue
36207-410: The best overall record, with tiebreakers in the event of two or more teams having the same record). These teams are seeded according to overall record and tiebreakers, with the division champions always ranking higher than the wild card teams. The top team (seeded one) from each conference are awarded a bye week, while the remaining six teams (seeded 2–7) from each conference compete in the first round of
36450-417: The best trades of the 1960s, gaining quarterback Sonny Jurgensen from the Philadelphia Eagles and linebacker Sam Huff from the New York Giants . However, even with these additions, the Redskins were still not performing up to expectations. While the Redskins became more popular than ever, they struggled through the 1960s. During most of this unsuccessful period, Marshall continued to refuse to integrate
36693-492: The best win percentage that did not win its division) from each conference. In 1978, the league added a second wild card team from each conference, bringing the total number of playoff teams to ten, and a further two wild card teams were added in 1990 to bring the total to twelve. When the NFL expanded to 32 teams in 2002 , the league realigned, changing the division structure from three divisions in each conference to four divisions in each conference. As each division champion gets
36936-417: The broadcasts on ESPN or ABC. ESPN also holds exclusive rights to stream one Sunday morning international game on ESPN+. Beginning in 2024, Netflix holds the global streaming rights for at least one Christmas Day game every season as part of a three-year deal. The Super Bowl television rights are rotated on a four-year basis between CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. The NFL's most recent contract negotiation for
37179-414: The commissioner, secretary, and treasurer. Each conference has one defined officer, the president, which is essentially an honorary position with few powers and mostly ceremonial duties, including awarding the conference championship trophy. The commissioner is elected by the affirmative vote of two-thirds or eighteen (whichever is greater) of the members of the league, while the president of each conference
37422-462: The company that makes the rings; each ring design varies, with the NFL mandating certain ring specifications (which have a degree of room for deviation), in addition to requiring the Super Bowl logo be on at least one side of the ring. The losing team are also awarded rings, which must be no more than half as valuable as the winners' rings, but those are almost never worn. The conference champions receive trophies for their achievement. The champions of
37665-463: The country obtain the certifications necessary to do business with the league in furtherance of its efforts to increase partnerships with certified and underrepresented businesses that are 51% owned and operated or led by a veteran, woman, minority, person with disabilities or LGBTQ+. In 2015, a class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers, alleging that the NFL, its member teams, its broadcast partners, and DirecTV engaged in
37908-448: The current league champion, the league issued a smaller replica trophy to each champion, who would maintain permanent control over it. The current location of the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy, long thought to be lost, is believed to be possessed by the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame . The current trophy of the NFL is the Vince Lombardi Trophy . The Super Bowl trophy was officially renamed in 1970 after Vince Lombardi , who as head coach led
38151-451: The distinction of being the first drafted player to play in the National Football League . Later in the draft, the Redskins selected Wayne Millner , who became a large part of their offense. The next big addition was the hiring of Ray Flaherty as head coach. In the following decade, Flaherty led the team to two NFL championships and four divisional titles. After starting the season 4–5, the Redskins won their last three games to finish with
38394-464: The division. The McNabb era came to an abrupt end when he was traded to Minnesota in August 2011. The troublesome After cutting the injury-rattled Clinton Portis , the Redskins had no important offensive players left except for Santana Moss. Mike Shanahan surprised most observers by his decision to name John Beck , an obscure free-agent quarterback, as the starter. However, Shanahan suddenly reversed direction by naming veteran backup Rex Grossman to
38637-407: The exact draft pick the player was selected with. Players who were draft eligible but not picked in the draft are free to sign with any club. The NFL operates several other drafts in addition to the NFL draft. The league holds a supplemental draft annually. Clubs submit emails to the league stating the player they wish to select and the round they will do so, and the team with the highest bid wins
38880-518: The exception of the non-profit Green Bay Packers , is subject to tax because they make a profit. In 2015, the NFL gave up its tax-exempt status following public criticism; in a letter to the club owners, Commissioner Roger Goodell labeled it a "distraction", saying "the effects of the tax-exempt status of the league office have been mischaracterized repeatedly in recent years… Every dollar of income generated through television rights fees, licensing agreements, sponsorships, ticket sales, and other means
39123-456: The final score 13–3. On December 5, 1937, the Redskins earned their first division title in Washington by beating the Giants 49–14, including two touchdown runs by Cliff Battles for 75 and 76 yards (69 m), for the Eastern Championship. The team then proceeded to win their first league championship, the 1937 NFL Championship Game , on December 12, 1937, against the Chicago Bears , their first season in D.C. The 1938 season started with
39366-504: The first half of the season. However, they ended up going 7–6 with Turner being fired as head coach prior to the end of the season. Terry Robiskie was named interim coach to finish out the season, which ended with an 8–8 record. During the final game of the season, Larry Centers became the NFL's all-time leader in receptions by a running back with 685. On January 3, 2001, the Redskins hired former Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Marty Schottenheimer for
39609-405: The first time and beat the Arizona Cardinals , 19–13 in overtime. On November 23, 1997, they played the New York Giants and the result was a 7–7 tie, the Redskins first tie game since the 1971 season . They would finish 1997 8–7–1 and would miss the playoffs for the fifth season in a row. Cornerback Darrell Green would break Monte Coleman 's record for games played with the team during
39852-520: The game in Boston and New England was entirely associated with college, preparatory, and high school playing. Its eminence as an institution of sport grew in a hallowed atmosphere as an almost sacrosanct element of education which was to be kept ever free from commercial pollution." The Redskins appeared in the 1936 NFL Championship Game , their first championship appearance, but lost to the Green Bay Packers 21–6. The Redskins moved to Washington, D.C. , after five years in Boston, with Marshall stating that
40095-425: The game was moved to the week before. Because of this, players from the teams participating in the Super Bowl are exempt from participating in the game. The Pro Bowl is not considered as competitive as a regular-season game because the biggest concern of teams is to avoid injuries to the players. The National Football League has used three different trophies to honor its champion over its existence. The first trophy,
40338-413: The game, and the Seahawks scored on the next drive and converted the two-point conversion . To close the game, Todd Collins threw two interceptions, each returned for a touchdown, and the Redskins fell 35–14. After Joe Gibbs announced his retirement following the 2007 season, Jim Zorn was hired as head coach and brought in a West Coast Offense . The 2008 season started well, as the Redskins started
40581-416: The game, was an incomplete pass. In that game, the Redskins broke the record for fewest offensive yards (120) gained in a playoff victory, with one of their two touchdowns being from a defensive run after a fumble recovery. The following weekend, they played the Seahawks , who defeated the Redskins 20–10, ending their hopes of reaching their first NFC Championship Game since 1991 . The first major move of
40824-414: The goal of entertaining fans from the moment they walked into the stadium until the time they left it. The Redskins are now one of only two teams in the NFL with an official marching band. The other is the Baltimore Ravens . The Redskins were also one of the first teams to have a fight song, " Hail to the Redskins ", which made its debut on August 17, 1938, as the official fight song of the Redskins. The song
41067-412: The group, nearly 50 more potential schedules were developed to try to ensure that the chosen schedule would be the best possible one. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the NFL Playoffs, a 14-team single-elimination tournament, is then held. Seven teams are selected from each conference: the winners of each of the four divisions as well as three wild card teams (the three remaining teams with
41310-431: The higher remaining seed hosting the lower remaining seed. The AFC and NFC champions then compete in the Super Bowl to determine the league champion. The only other postseason event hosted by the NFL is the Pro Bowl , the league's all-star game . Since 2009, the Pro Bowl has been held the week before the Super Bowl ; in previous years, the game was held the week following the Super Bowl, but in an effort to boost ratings,
41553-445: The league during the year). The Massillon Tigers from Massillon, Ohio was also at the September 17 meeting, but did not field a team in 1920. Only two of these teams, the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) and the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals), remain in the NFL. Although the league did not maintain official standings for its 1920 inaugural season and teams played schedules that included non-league opponents,
41796-406: The league has to account for, among other things, the Major League Baseball postseason and local events that could pose a scheduling conflict with NFL games. During the 2010 season, over 500,000 potential schedules were created by computers, 5,000 of which were considered "playable schedules" and were reviewed by the NFL's scheduling team. After arriving at what they felt was the best schedule out of
42039-462: The longest-tenured head coach in the Snyder era with six seasons, a 35–49–1 regular season record and one playoff appearance. The Redskins finished the season at 3–13 , with victories over the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers , and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year. The record matched their worst since 2013 and was the second worst of any team that season. National Football League The National Football League ( NFL )
42282-512: The media rights deal was announced on March 18, 2021, to take effect beginning in the 2023 season. The deal renewed previous rights agreements made by the NFL and each of its network partners to air their respective game packages, while awarding Amazon the Thursday Night Football package. ESPN/ABC is set to return to the Super Bowl broadcast rotation and will broadcast the Super Bowl on U.S. television in 2027, 21 years after airing its last Super Bowl, Super Bowl XL . Digital and streaming distribution
42525-405: The members of the 1930 Newark Tornadoes roster, and only two of the 1931 Indians ( Algy Clark and Dale Waters ), remained on the 1932 Boston Braves roster. Initially, the new team took the same name as their landlords, the Boston Braves , one of the two local Major League Baseball teams. The Braves played their first game on October 2, 1932, under the leadership of coach Lud Wray , against
42768-412: The most exciting endings in the history of the Cowboys–Redskins rivalry . Tied 19–19, Troy Vincent blocked a last-second field goal attempt by Dallas that would have given them the win. Sean Taylor picked up the ball and ran 30 yards (27 m), breaking tackles along the way. It was thought that the game would then go in overtime, however because of a defensive 15-yard (14 m) face mask penalty,
43011-440: The name to " Redskins ". According to ESPN , the team has long contended it was named in honor of Marshall's head coach, William Henry "Lone Star" Dietz , who was believed to be part Sioux . A 1933 news article quotes Marshall as saying that he did not name the team specifically in honor of Dietz or any of the team's native members, but because Marshall wanted to avoid any confusion with the Braves baseball squad while still keeping
43254-442: The native connotations of the previous moniker. Dietz's first year as coach in 1933 was unremarkable, and the Redskins finished with a 5–5–2 record. However, one impressive feat during the season was Cliff Battles ' performance against the New York Giants on October 8, 1933, when he rushed 16 times for 215 yards (197 m) and scored one touchdown and became the first player ever to rush for more than 200 yards (180 m) in
43497-591: The new D.C. Stadium occurred on October 1, 1961, in front of 37,767 fans. However, the Redskins failed to hold a 21–7 lead and lost to the New York Giants 24–21. Along with stadiums, Marshall decided to change head coaches again, this time choosing Bill McPeak . Though McPeak's coaching record was nothing to be proud of (21–46–3 over five seasons), he is better known for helping the Redskins draft future stars such as wide receiver Charley Taylor , tight end Jerry Smith , safety Paul Krause , center Len Hauss , and linebacker Chris Hanburger . He also helped pull off two of
43740-491: The next two seasons, Nixon proved to be statistically the worst coach the Redskins have had in terms of winning percentage, with a record of 4–18–2. In the 1961 draft, the Redskins made another poor draft choice in QB Norm Snead and passing over Fran Tarkenton, who later became a Hall-of-Famer after his career with the Vikings and Giants. In 1961 , the Redskins moved into their new stadium called D.C. Stadium (changed to Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969). The first game in
43983-462: The other network (known as "flexible scheduling"). The only way to legally watch a regionally televised game not being carried on the local network affiliates is to purchase NFL Sunday Ticket, the league's out-of-market sports package , which is available through YouTube TV starting with the 2023 season. The league also provides NFL RedZone , an omnibus telecast that cuts to the most relevant plays in each game, live as they happen. In addition to
44226-495: The other three teams in the division, while one game is held against all the members of a division from the NFC and a division from the AFC as determined by a rotating cycle (three years for the conference the team is in, and four years in the conference they are not in). Two of the other games are intraconference games, determined by the standings of the previous year – for example, if a team finishes first in its division, it will play two other first-place teams in its conference, while
44469-418: The place of the temporary traveling Cleveland Indians , who themselves were operated under the franchise of the Newark Tornadoes after the Tornadoes had left the league after the 1930 season and had sold its franchise rights back to the NFL. Despite this, neither team management nor the NFL claim that the Indians or Tornadoes were earlier incarnations of the team currently in Washington. Additionally, none of
44712-414: The playoffs, the Wild Card round, with the 2-seed competing against the 7-seed, the 3-seed competing against the 6-seed and the 4-seed competing against the 5-seed. The winners of the Wild Card round advance to the Divisional Round, which matches the lower seeded team against the 1-seed and the two remaining teams against each other. The winners of those games then compete in the Conference Championships, with
44955-402: The playoffs. On April 6, 1997, Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke died of congestive heart failure at the age of 84. In his will, Cooke left the Redskins to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, with instructions to sell the team. In the meantime, management of the team was given to son and executive vice president John Kent Cooke. On September 14, 1997, the Redskins played in their new stadium for
45198-442: The postseason. 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 . Since their last Super Bowl victory in 1991 , they have won the NFC East four times with only seven postseason appearances. Boston was awarded a National Football League franchise on July 9, 1932, under the ownership of American businessman George Preston Marshall . The team
45441-414: The pre-merger NFL teams, and the American Football Conference (AFC), consisting of all of the AFL teams as well as three pre-merger NFL teams. Today, the NFL is the most popular sports league in North America – with much of the league's growth and popularity attributable to former Commissioner Pete Rozelle , who led the league from 1960 to 1989. Overall annual attendance increased from 3 million at
45684-435: The preseason does not count towards standings, teams generally do not focus on winning games; instead, they are used by coaches to evaluate their teams and by players to show their performance, both to their current team and to other teams if they get cut. The quality of preseason games has been criticized by some fans, who dislike having to pay full price for exhibition games, as well as by some players and coaches, who dislike
45927-404: The preseason, finished the season with career highs in touchdowns (29), yards (4,166), and completion percentage (69.8%). His completion percentage led the league, while his 29 touchdowns tied him for second on the franchise single-season list. The team's offense in 2016 set several franchise records, including having over 6,000 total net yards, which was only the third time in franchise history
46170-402: The previous commissioner, retired. The NFL season format consists of a three-week preseason , an 18-week regular season (each team plays 17 games), and a 14-team single-elimination playoff culminating in the Super Bowl, the league's championship game. The NFL preseason begins with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game , played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton . Each NFL team
46413-398: The recently integrated Redskins Although Bobby Mitchell was only welcomed to the team grudgingly, he was nonetheless joined by black stars like receiver Charley Taylor , running back Larry Brown (who had a hearing aid installed in his helmet due to near-total deafness in his right ear), defensive back Brig Owens , and guard John Nisby from the Pittsburgh Steelers . The Redskins ended
46656-429: The record setting offense, the team's defense had a poor season, finishing 29 out of 32 teams in total defense, which led to the firing of defensive coordinator Joe Barry , as well as three of his assistants. In 2017 , Cousins had his third straight season with 4,000 passing yards while once again playing under the franchise tag. For the second straight season, the Redskins missed the playoffs, finishing 7–9. During
46899-420: The regional games, the league also has packages of telecasts, mostly in prime time, that are carried nationwide. NBC broadcasts the primetime Sunday Night Football package, which includes the Thursday NFL Kickoff game that starts the regular season and a primetime Thanksgiving Day game . ESPN is the main broadcaster of the Monday Night Football package with ABC airing select games either exclusively or as
47142-459: The regular-season finale on December 17, 1983, Moseley set an NFL scoring record with 161 points while Riggins' total of 144 points was second. This marked the first time since 1951 that the top two scorers in a season played on the same team. They dominated the NFL with a 14-win season which included scoring a then NFL record 541 points, many of which came from Riggins, who scored 24 touchdowns. Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann would also be named
47385-410: The remaining shares from Williams for around $ 9 million. Jack Pardee , the 1979 NFL Coach of the Year , was fired following a 6–10 record in 1980 . On January 13, 1981, Cooke hired San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Gibbs as head coach. During the offseason, the Redskins acquired players such as Mark May , Russ Grimm , and Dexter Manley in the 1981 NFL draft . After starting
47628-456: The rest of the state the club operates in, as well as the area the team operates its training camp in for the duration of the camp). Each NFL member has the exclusive right to host professional football games inside its Home Territory and the exclusive right to advertise, promote, and host events in its Home Marketing Area. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule, mostly relating to teams with close proximity to each other: teams that operate in
47871-445: The rights to Davis to the Cleveland Browns , who wanted Davis to join the league's leading rusher, Jim Brown , in their backfield. Davis was traded for veteran running back Bobby Mitchell , who became a wide receiver in Washington, D.C., and 1962 first-round draft choice Leroy Jackson of Western Illinois . The move was made under unfortunate circumstances – as it turned out that Davis had leukemia , and died without ever playing
48114-420: The rights to that player. The exact order is determined by a lottery held before the draft, and a successful bid for a player will result in the team forfeiting the rights to its pick in the equivalent round of the next NFL draft. Players are only eligible for the supplemental draft after being granted a petition for special eligibility. The league holds expansion drafts , the most recent happening in 2002 when
48357-443: The risk of injury the games have, while others have felt the preseason is a necessary part of the NFL season. Currently, the 14 opponents each team faces over the 17-game regular season schedule are set using a predetermined formula: The league runs an 18-week, 272-game regular season. Since 2021, the season has begun the week after Labor Day (the first Monday in September) and concluded the week after New Year. The opening game of
48600-414: The same city (e.g. New York City and Los Angeles) or the same state (e.g. California , Florida , and Texas ) share the rights to the city's Home Territory and the state's Home Marketing Area, respectively. According to Forbes , the Dallas Cowboys , at approximately US$ 8 billion, are the most valuable NFL franchise and the most valuable sports team in the world. 26 of the 32 NFL teams rank among
48843-520: The same package as part of a tri-cast model that saw games aired on broadcast television (initially through CBS and NBC, then later with Fox), cable television (through NFL Network), and digital streaming (through Prime Video). Amazon has also streamed games for free on Twitch since 2018. CBS streams its AFC package games on Paramount+ as a simulcast with its CBS broadcasts. NBC streams Sunday Night Football and select exclusive games on Peacock . ESPN streams its games on ESPN+ in simulcast with
49086-434: The same role. The 2001 season began with a loss to the San Diego Chargers , 30–3, two days before the September 11, 2001, attacks . On September 13, 2001, the Redskins announced the establishment of the Redskins Relief Fund to help families of the victims of the attack at the Pentagon. During the course of the season, the Redskins raised more than $ 700,000. They finished the season with an 8–8 record and Schottenheimer
49329-441: The schedule will give half the teams nine games as the home team, while half the teams have only eight home games. To minimize the perceived benefit on competition of having more home games, the extra home game will be rotated between the two conferences each year. This is because playoff berths are allocated at the conference level, so all teams within the conference will have played the same number of home games. The NFL operated in
49572-449: The season 6–2. Furthermore, Redskins RB Clinton Portis led the NFL in rushing yards. However, things turned for the worse in early November, when they were routed 23–6 by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Portis' injuries finally caught up to him. The Redskins continued to struggle, falling all the way to 7–7, with their only win during that six-week period being a 3-point victory of the then-2–8 Seattle Seahawks . The Redskins managed to upset
49815-549: The season is normally a home game on a Thursday for the league's defending champion. Most NFL games are played on Sundays, with a Monday night game typically held at least once a week and Thursday night games occurring on most weeks as well. NFL games are not normally played on Fridays or Saturdays until late in the regular season, as federal law prohibits professional football leagues from competing with college or high school football. Because high school and college teams typically play games on Friday and Saturday, respectively,
50058-434: The season. The 1998 season started with a seven-game losing streak, and the Redskins finished with a 6–10 record. On May 25, 1999, Cooke sold the Redskins to local businessman Daniel Snyder for $ 800 million after being unable to raise sufficient funds to keep the team. Snyder sold the naming rights to Jack Kent Cooke Stadium to FedEx in November 1999, becoming FedExField . In Snyder's first season as owner,
50301-468: The season. Casey was fired at the end of the season. The Redskins' most productive year in Boston came in 1936 . It started with the first annual NFL draft on February 8, 1936, in which the Redskins had the second overall pick. Their first selection as an NFL team was Riley Smith , a blocking back from Alabama . The first player ever selected in the draft, Heisman Trophy winner Jay Berwanger , chose not to play pro football. Because of this, Smith holds
50544-438: The season: A forward pass that strikes the goal posts is automatically ruled incomplete. This later became known as the "Baugh/Marshall Rule", The Redskins' early success endeared them to the fans of Washington, D.C. However, after 1945, the franchise began a slow decline that was not ended until a playoff appearance in the 1971 season . The 1946 season began with the signing of former player Turk Edwards as head coach. He
50787-403: The smaller playing field, the Bears won the game 9–0 and thus won the championship. Fan interest in the de facto championship game led the NFL, beginning in 1933 , to split into two divisions with a championship game to be played between the division champions. The 1934 season also marked the first of twelve seasons in which African Americans were absent from the league . The de facto ban
51030-424: The sport safer, mainly through fining or suspending players who break rules. These actions are among many the NFL is taking to reduce concussions and improve player safety. Prior to 2021, the NFL had utilized race-based adjustments of dementia claims in the $ 1 billion settlement of concussion claims, which had been criticized by critics before the NFL decided to end what was called "race-norming". On May 21, 2024,
51273-434: The starting position. In Week 1, Grossman threw for 305 yards and two touchdown passes as the Redskins crushed the Giants 28–14, ending a six-game losing streak against that team. The Washington Redskins started the season 2–0, but then struggled to a 5–11 finish, however, they managed to win both meetings over the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants . In 2012 , the Redskins traded several high draft picks to
51516-417: The strike was settled, the Redskins dominated, winning six out of the seven remaining games to make the playoffs for the first time since 1976. In January 1983, during the second round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings , John Riggins rushed for franchise playoff record 185 yards, leading Washington to a 21–7 win. The game is perhaps best known for a moment when the stadium physically shook as
51759-408: The team had accomplished that. Quarterback Kirk Cousins also set single-season team records in attempts, completions, and passing yards, breaking many of his records he had previously set in 2015. DeSean Jackson , Pierre Garçon , Jamison Crowder , Robert Kelley , Chris Thompson , Jordan Reed , Vernon Davis , and Matt Jones all finished the season with at least 500 yards from scrimmage, tying
52002-404: The team into the playoffs, are the basis for the 2000 movie The Replacements . The Redskins won their second championship in Super Bowl XXII on January 31, 1988, in San Diego, California. The Redskins routed the Denver Broncos 42–10 after starting the game down 10–0, the largest come-from-behind victory in Super Bowl history, which was tied by the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV and
52245-417: The team its highest-scoring game since 2005. The Redskins struggled to a 3–6 start, but in Week 11, the Redskins would host the struggling Philadelphia Eagles. Griffin would have one of the best games of his career to date, as the Redskins won 31–6 with long touchdowns to Santana Moss and Aldrick Robinson. The Redskins would win their next 6 games after that, including the crucial final game of the season against
52488-412: The team's daily operations in 1965 due to declining health. He acquired controlling interest in the franchise following Marshall's death on August 9, 1969. In 1969 , Williams hired former Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi for the same role, granting him a 5% stake in ownership and full control over football operations as the team's executive vice president. Lombardi coached the Redskins to
52731-435: The team, despite pressure from The Washington Post and the federal government of the United States . A typical comment by Post writer Shirley Povich was Jim Brown , born ineligible to play for the Redskins, integrated their end zone three times yesterday. "I think it is quite plain that if he wants an argument, he is going to have a moral argument with the president and with the administration." Secretary of
52974-412: The team, despite pressure from the U.S. government . Two months into the Kennedy administration on March 24, 1961, Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall warned Marshall to hire black players or face federal retribution. For the first time in history, the federal government had attempted to desegregate a professional sports team. The Redskins were under the threat of civil rights legal action by
53217-400: The trophy was discontinued and its current whereabouts are unknown. A second trophy, the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy , was issued by the NFL from 1934 to 1967. The trophy's namesake, Ed Thorp, was a referee in the league and a friend to many early league owners; upon his death in 1934, the league created the trophy to honor him. In addition to the main trophy, which would be in the possession of
53460-406: The war ended, the number of games returned to eleven games in 1946 , and later back to twelve in 1947. The NFL went to a 14-game schedule in 1961 , which it retained until switching to a 16-game schedule in 1978 . In March 2021, the NFL officially adopted a 17-game schedule after gaining the agreement of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Having an odd number of games in
53703-430: The welfare of the League or professional football". The commissioner can, in the event of misconduct by a party associated with the league, suspend individuals, hand down a fine of up to US$ 500,000, cancel contracts with the league, and award or strip teams of draft picks. In extreme cases, the commissioner can offer recommendations to the NFL's executive committee, up to and including the "cancellation or forfeiture" of
53946-425: The winners of the AFC and NFC championship games. The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association ( APFA ) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season . After initially determining champions through end-of-season standings, a playoff system was implemented in 1933 that culminated with the NFL Championship Game until 1966. Following an agreement to merge
54189-469: The winningest head coach in Redskins history. The season ended next week, however, when the Redskins lost to the eventual Super Bowl XXI Champion Giants 17–0 in the NFC Championship game. The 1987 NFL season began with a players' strike that reduced the 16-game season to 15. No Redskins players crossed the picket line—the only such team—and the games for Weeks 4–6 were won with all-replacement squads. Those three victories, often credited with getting
54432-431: Was also dominant under defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon , giving up 224 total points, second-best of any team that year, while holding opponents scoreless three times. After posting a 14–2 record, the Redskins dominated the playoffs , beating the Falcons and Lions by a combined score of 64–17. On January 26, 1992, the Redskins won Super Bowl XXVI by defeating the Buffalo Bills 37–24; QB Mark Rypien won
54675-419: Was among the first NFL franchises with a fight song , " Hail to the Commanders ", which is played by their marching band after every home game touchdown . The Commanders are owned by a group managed by Josh Harris , who acquired the franchise from Daniel Snyder in 2023 for $ 6.05 billion. The Commanders were founded by George Preston Marshall as the Boston Braves in 1932 . The team changed its name to
54918-492: Was announced that American Oil Company planned to televise all Redskins games, making Washington the first NFL team to have an entire season of televised games. Before that, in 1944 , the Redskins formed a radio network to broadcast their games throughout the southern United States . His next major change came in February 1952, when he hired former Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cardinals coach Earl "Curly" Lambeau . However, after two seasons, Marshall fired Lambeau following
55161-458: Was announced that the American Oil Company planned to televise all Redskins games, making them the first NFL team to have an entire season of televised games. His next major change came in February 1952, when he hired former Green Bay Packers coach Earl "Curly" Lambeau . But, after two seasons, Marshall fired Lambeau following the Redskins loss in their exhibition opener to the Los Angeles Rams and hired Joe Kuharich . In 1955, Kuharich led
55404-418: Was composed by band leader Barnee Breeskin and the lyrics were written by actress Corinne Griffith , the wife of Marshall. The Redskins played their first game and had their first victory in Washington, D.C., on September 16, 1937, against the Giants . The Thursday night game drew nearly 25,000 fans to Griffith Stadium and culminated with Riley Smith scoring on a 60-yard (55 m) interception return, making
55647-426: Was declared the champion; the only tiebreaker was that in the event of a tie if two teams played twice in a season, the result of the second game determined the title (the source of the 1921 controversy). This method had been used since the league's creation in 1920, but no situation had been encountered where two teams were tied for first. The league quickly determined that a playoff game between Chicago and Portsmouth
55890-419: Was difficult. In 1935, Joe F. Carr opined: "To the casual observer bred in the knowledge of New England's place in football's sun, because its cradle and nursery were there, the success of a Boston team in the professional ranks would be a foregone conclusion. Nothing could have been more erroneous. Boston finished the most forbidding ground for professional football of any large city in the country. The history of
56133-424: Was elected as commissioner to succeed Rozelle; his 17-year tenure, which ended in 2006, was marked by large increases in television contracts and the addition of four expansion teams, as well as the introduction of league initiatives to increase the number of minorities in league and team management roles. The league's current Commissioner, Roger Goodell , has focused on reducing the number of illegal hits and making
56376-732: Was expanded to allow CBS, NBC, and ESPN/ABC to stream games on their respective over-the-top streaming services. For each of the packages the respective network partners currently hold, ESPN/ABC is paying US$ 2.7 billion a year; CBS, Fox, and NBC are each paying more than US$ 2 billion a year; and Amazon is paying US$ 1 billion a year. The current deal runs through the 2033 season. The league also has deals with Spanish-language broadcasters NBC Universo , Fox Deportes , and ESPN Deportes , which air Spanish language dubs of their respective English-language sister networks' games. The league's contracts do not cover preseason games, which individual teams are free to sell to local stations directly;
56619-449: Was fired after the final game. Snyder later said in a 2013 interview that he was fired due to his over-controlling nature. On January 14, 2002, Snyder hired Florida Gators coach Steve Spurrier , the Redskins' fifth head coach in 10 years. They finished with a 7–9 record, their first losing season in four years. A bittersweet moment during the season occurred on December 29, when Darrell Green concluded his 20th and final season as
56862-404: Was fired. When Marshall became seriously ill by 1965, he appointed team president and minority shareholder Edward Bennett Williams to run the team's daily operations. After Marshall's death on August 9, 1969, Williams bought controlling interest in the franchise from Marshall's estate. In 1969 , Williams hired former Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi for the same role, granting him
57105-429: Was infamously described by Povich as the man who kept the Redskins team colors "burgundy, gold, and Caucasian") announced that on the day of the NFL draft he had clandestinely traded the rights to Davis (who refused to play for Marshall) to the Cleveland Browns , who wanted Davis to join the league's leading rusher, Jim Brown , in their backfield. Davis was traded to the Browns for running back Bobby Mitchell (who became
57348-426: Was named after the Boston Braves baseball team , with whom they shared Braves Field , with the inaugural season being coached by Lud Wray . The team saw several changes in 1933 , including a name change to the "Redskins" and playing their home games at Fenway Park , home of the Boston Red Sox . Wray was also replaced at head coach by William "Lone Star" Dietz . The situation faced by Marshall in New England
57591-436: Was named head coach and led the team to a return to the NFL championship game , however they were defeated by the Chicago Bears 41–21. That same season, Sammy Baugh led the NFL in passing, punting , and interceptions . The Redskins played in the NFL Championship one more time before a quarter-century drought that lasted until the 1972 season . With former Olympic gold medalist Dudley DeGroot as their new head coach,
57834-426: Was needed to decide the league's champion. The teams were originally scheduled to play the playoff game, officially a regular-season game that would count towards the regular season standings, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, but a combination of heavy snow and extreme cold forced the game to be moved indoors to Chicago Stadium , which did not have a regulation-size football field. Playing with altered rules to accommodate
58077-467: Was replaced midway through the season by backup Patrick Ramsey . On the other hand, some of Gibbs' other new signings, such as cornerback Shawn Springs and linebacker Marcus Washington , did very well. The Redskins also selected Sean Taylor during the first draft in Gibbs' return. The 2005 season started with three wins, including a win on September 19 against the Dallas Cowboys . Dallas led 13–0 with less than four minutes left when Brunell threw
58320-543: Was rescinded in 1946 , following public pressure and coinciding with the removal of a similar ban in Major League Baseball . The NFL was always the largest professional football league in the United States; it nevertheless faced numerous rival professional leagues through the 1930s and 1940s. Rival leagues included at least three separate American Football Leagues and the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), on top of various regional leagues of varying caliber. Three NFL teams trace their histories to these rival leagues;
58563-411: Was sacked by Kareem Jackson and J. J. Watt which forced him to miss the rest of the season. This led to Colt McCoy , Mark Sanchez , and Josh Johnson starting games in the second half of the season. The team finished at 7–9 and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year, with a league-high 25 players on injured reserve. Due to Smith's injury, the Redskins acquired Case Keenum from
58806-413: Was shot by home intruders early in the morning in his Miami home. The next morning, Taylor died from severe blood loss. However, the Redskins rebounded to finish 9–7 and clinch the final playoff spot in the NFC. Washington trailed 13–0 entering the 4th quarter to the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round, but rallied to take a 14–13 lead, but Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham missed a field goal later in
59049-428: Was the coach until 1948 and finished with an unimpressive record of 16–18–1. The only highlight that occurred during his tenure was Sammy Baugh's 1947 season , where he threw 354 passes, completed 210 of them for 2,938 yards (2,687 m), setting three all-time NFL records in one season. A major blunder also occurred during his tenure. With the ninth overall pick in the 1946 NFL draft , the Redskins chose Cal Rossi ,
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