The 1989 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 58th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 53rd in Washington, D.C. They improved on their 7–9 record from 1988 to 10–6 in 1989, finishing third in the NFC East. However, they failed to qualify for the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
| 1989 Washington Redskins season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jack Kent Cooke |
| President | John Kent Cooke |
| General manager | Charley Casserly |
| Head coach | Joe Gibbs |
| Offensive coordinator | Joe Bugel |
| Defensive coordinator | Richie Petitbon |
| Home field | RFK Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC East |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| |
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 66 | Tracy Rocker | Defensive tackle | Auburn |
| 4 | 110 | Erik Affholter | Wide receiver | USC |
| 5 | 129 | Tim Smiley | Defensive back | Arkansas State |
| 5 | 139 | Lybrant Robinson | Defensive end | Delaware State |
| 6 | 149 | A.J. Johnson | Defensive back | Southwest Texas State |
| 7 | 179 | Kevin Hendrix | Linebacker | South Carolina |
| 9 | 233 | Charles Darrington | Tight end | Kentucky |
| 10 | 263 | Mark Schlereth | Guard | Idaho |
| 12 | 316 | Jimmie Johnson | Tight end | Howard |
| 12 | 317 | Joe Mickles | Running back | Mississippi |
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
47 active, 14 inactive, 2 practice squad
| ||||||
In a week 14 victory against the San Diego Chargers, Joe Gibbs achieved career victory no. 100
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 11 | New York Giants | L 24–27 | 0–1 | RFK Stadium | 54,160 | Recap |
| 2 | September 17 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 37–42 | 0–2 | RFK Stadium | 53,493 | Recap |
| 3 | September 24 | atDallas Cowboys | W 30–7 | 1–2 | Texas Stadium | 63,200 | Recap |
| 4 | October 1 | atNew Orleans Saints | W 16–14 | 2–2 | Louisiana Superdome | 64,358 | Recap |
| 5 | October 8 | Phoenix Cardinals | W 30–28 | 3–2 | RFK Stadium | 53,335 | Recap |
| 6 | October 15 | atNew York Giants | L 17–20 | 3–3 | Giants Stadium | 76,245 | Recap |
| 7 | October 22 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 32–28 | 4–3 | RFK Stadium | 53,862 | Recap |
| 8 | October 29 | atLos Angeles Raiders | L 24–37 | 4–4 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 52,781 | Recap |
| 9 | November 5 | Dallas Cowboys | L 3–13 | 4–5 | RFK Stadium | 53,187 | Recap |
| 10 | November 12 | atPhiladelphia Eagles | W 10–3 | 5–5 | Veterans Stadium | 65,443 | Recap |
| 11 | November 20 | Denver Broncos | L 10–14 | 5–6 | RFK Stadium | 52,975 | Recap |
| 12 | November 26 | Chicago Bears | W 38–14 | 6–6 | RFK Stadium | 50,044 | Recap |
| 13 | December 3 | atPhoenix Cardinals | W 29–10 | 7–6 | Sun Devil Stadium | 38,870 | Recap |
| 14 | December 10 | San Diego Chargers | W 26–21 | 8–6 | RFK Stadium | 47,693 | Recap |
| 15 | December 17 | atAtlanta Falcons | W 31–30 | 9–6 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 37,501 | Recap |
| 16 | December 23 | atSeattle Seahawks | W 29–0 | 10–6 | Kingdome | 60,294 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| New York Giants(2) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 348 | 252 | W3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles(4) | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 7–1 | 8–4 | 342 | 274 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–4 | 8–4 | 386 | 308 | W5 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–6 | 4–8 | 258 | 377 | L6 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 1–7 | 1–13 | 204 | 393 | L7 |
